palate

[ pal-it ]

noun

1. Anatomy. the roof of the mouth, consisting of an anterior bony portion hard palate and a posterior muscular portion soft palate, orvelum that separate the oral cavity from the nasal cavity.
2. the sense of taste:

   It was a dinner to delight the palate.

3. intellectual or aesthetic taste; mental appreciation:

   She is said to have a discriminating palate for the arts.

verb (used with object)

1. to find pleasing to the taste:

   My friend was very ill and could not palate much of anything.

2. to find acceptable or agreeable to the mind or feelings:

   Your position is hard to palate, because I believe there is such a thing as objective morality.

palate

/ ˈpælɪt /

noun

1. the roof of the mouth, separating the oral and nasal cavities See hard palate soft palate palatine
2. the sense of taste

   she had no palate for the wine

3. relish or enjoyment
4. botany (in some two-lipped corollas) the projecting part of the lower lip that closes the opening of the corolla

palate

/ păl′ĭt /

1. The roof of the mouth in vertebrate animals, separating the mouth from the passages of the nose.
2. ◆ The bony part of the palate is called the hard palate.
3. ◆ A soft, flexible, rear portion of the palate, called the soft palate, is present in mammals only and serves to close off the mouth from the nose during swallowing.

palate

1. The roof of the mouth. The palate separates the mouth from the nasal cavity.

Usage

See palette pallet 1

Notes

It is sometimes said that a person has a “cultivated palate” if he or she has a discerning taste for food.

Other Words From

• pal·ate·less adjective
• pal·ate·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of palate¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English palat, from Latin palātum “roof of the mouth”

Word History and Origins

Origin of palate¹

C14: from Latin palātum, perhaps of Etruscan origin

Example Sentences

But nutritionists say taste preferences are developed at a young age and in some countries like in the Philippines, many foods catering to a sweet palate are started early.

From BBC

The desserts chapter truly transformed my palate, even if it means I work a little harder in the gym to sweat off the newfound calories!

From Salon

Business development manager, Simi Olaleye, said the growing interest in exploring Nigerian food is due to “people’s palate changing and the world becoming more international”.

From BBC

“It certainly happened to me,” said Schimberg, who has a cleft palate.

From Salon

Take lamotrigine, for instance: In the early 2000s, animal trials indicated that it could increase conditions like cleft palate, but later studies found no such link, reassuring clinicians.

From Salon

Related Words

• bias
• partiality
• penchant
• tendency

Palate Vs. Palette Vs. Pallet

What’s the difference between palate, palette, and pallet?

The word palate refers to the roof of the mouth. More figuratively, palate can refer to a person’s particular sense of taste (as in the way they perceive flavors), or to a person’s general, intellectual taste (as in their specific preferences for things). A palette is that board that painters keep their paints on while painting (most traditionally, an oval one with a thumbhole for holding). The word pallet most commonly refers to a flat, square (often wood) platform used to hold goods for shipping (it’s sometimes called a skid).

All three of these words are pronounced exactly the same, and they’re always used as nouns.

The word palette is closely associated with art and color. It can also refer to a collection or range of colors or techniques. For example, the term color palette refers to a specific set of colors, such as the ones that a particular artist typically works with.

The word pallet can sometimes be used to refer to a painter’s palette, but this spelling is much less commonly used.

So how to keep all three spellings straight?

A palette is the thing a painter always keeps on hand—literally—while painting. In this way, you can think of a painter’s palette (which is spelled with one L) as a painter’s pal.

A pallet (ending in -let) is the platform that lets shippers easily transport goods.

Think of palate (ending in -ate) as a word related to what you ate.

Here’s an example of palate, palette, and pallet used correctly in a sentence.

Example: The art installation consists of wooden pallets painted in a vibrant palette of colors—it’s interesting, but it’s not quite suited to my palate. 

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between palate, palette, and pallet.

Quiz yourself on palate vs. palette vs. pallet!

Should palate, palette, or pallet be used in the following sentence?

The designer is known for using a muted color _____.