gustation: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low (C2+)Technical/Scientific/Formal
Quick answer
What does “gustation” mean?
the act or faculty of tasting.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
the act or faculty of tasting; the sense of taste.
The sensation and perception of flavor produced by a substance in the mouth, involving taste buds and often considered in conjunction with olfaction (smell) to create the overall experience of flavour.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The term is equally technical in both varieties.
Connotations
Scientific precision; can sound clinical or academic.
Frequency
Extremely rare in everyday speech in both varieties, but appears with similar low frequency in technical writing.
Grammar
How to Use “gustation” in a Sentence
Gustation (is)to study/impair/affect gustationgustation involvesgustation of (something)gustation, along with olfaction,Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “gustation” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The study aimed to quantify how we gustate different compounds.
American English
- The researchers developed a model to show how the brain gustates bitter stimuli.
adverb
British English
- [No standard form; 'gustatorily' is theoretical and not used.]
American English
- [No standard form; 'gustatorily' is theoretical and not used.]
adjective
British English
- The gustatory cortex is the brain region responsible for processing taste.
- He suffered from a gustatory disorder.
American English
- Gustatory neurons transmit signals from the tongue to the brain.
- The study focused on gustatory preferences.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used, except possibly in niche industries like food science or pharmaceuticals.
Academic
Used in scientific papers, textbooks, and lectures in fields like physiology, neuroscience, psychology, and food science.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Would be replaced by 'taste'.
Technical
Primary domain. Used with precision to distinguish the sense of taste from the combined experience of flavour.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “gustation”
- Using 'gustation' in casual conversation. Confusing it with 'gusto' (enthusiasm). Misspelling as 'gustration'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Gustation' is the formal, scientific term for the sense of taste, specifically the detection of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami by taste buds. 'Taste' is the everyday word and can also refer to personal preference ('a taste in music').
No, it is a low-frequency, technical term. The common word is 'taste'.
The adjective is 'gustatory' (e.g., gustatory cortex, gustatory sensations).
Yes, the complete loss of the sense of taste is called 'ageusia'. A reduced sense is 'hypogeusia'. These are medical conditions often related to illness, medication, or nerve damage.
the act or faculty of tasting.
Gustation is usually technical/scientific/formal in register.
Gustation: in British English it is pronounced /ɡʌˈsteɪ.ʃən/, and in American English it is pronounced /ɡʌˈsteɪ.ʃən/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[None directly associated; term is technical]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'GUSTation' – a GUST of flavour that hits your taste buds, or 'disGUST' – a strong taste reaction.
Conceptual Metaphor
TASTE IS A CHEMICAL SENSOR (gustation is the body's chemical analysis of food).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'gustation' MOST appropriately used?