relish
English
Alternative forms
- rellish (obsolete)
Etymology
Alteration of reles (“scent, taste, aftertaste”), from Old French relais, reles (“something remaining, that which is left behind”), from relaisser (“to leave behind”).
Pronunciation
- (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈɹɛl.ɪʃ/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɛlɪʃ
Noun
relish (countable and uncountable, plural relishes)
- A pleasant taste.
- 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:
- Much pleasure we have lost while we abstained / From this delightful fruit, nor known till now / True relish, tasting.
- 1748, [David Hume], “Essay II. Of the Origin of Ideas.”, in Philosophical Essays Concerning Human Understanding, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], OCLC 642589706, page 25:
- The Caſe is the ſame if the Object, proper for exciting any Senſation, has never been apply'd to the Organ. A Laplander or Negro has no Notion of the reliſh of VVine.
-
- Enjoyment; pleasure.
- 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, OCLC 79426475, (please specify the page):
- When liberty is gone, / Life grows insipid, and has lost its relish.
-
- A quality or characteristic tinge.
- 1717, Alexander Pope, “A Discourse on Pastoral Poetry”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], OCLC 43265629, page 5:
- [T]hat Air of piety to the Gods ſhould ſhine thro' the Poem, vvhich ſo viſibly appears in all the vvorks of antiquity: And it ought to preſerve ſome reliſh of the old vvay of vvriting; the connections ſhould be looeſ, the narrations and decſriptions ſhort, and the periods conciſe.
-
- (followed by "for") A taste (for); liking (of); fondness.
- 1785, William Cowper, letter to the Rev. John Newton (dated December 10, 1785)
- I have a relish for moderate praise, because it bids fair to be judicious.
- 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XI, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, OCLC 1069526323:
- One of the first acts which he was under the necessity of performing must have been painful to a man of so generous a nature, and of so keen a relish for whatever was excellent in arts and letters.
- 2019 July 17, Talia Lavin, “When Non-Jews Wield Anti-Semitism as Political Shield”, in GQ:
- Jews and Israel are not synonymous; nor is support for Palestine synonymous with anti-Semitism; nor is questioning the orthodoxy of the Republican party, which the majority of us do with relish, an insult to Jewry.
- 1785, William Cowper, letter to the Rev. John Newton (dated December 10, 1785)
- A cooked or pickled sauce, usually made with vegetables or fruits, generally used as a condiment.
- 1994 July 21, Faye Fiore, “Congress relishes another franking privilege: Meat lobby puts on the dog with exclusive luncheon for lawmakers – experts on pork”, in Los Angeles Times:
- Congressmen gleefully wolfed down every imaginable version of the hot dog – smoked kielbasas, jumbo grillers, Big & Juicy's, kosher dogs and spiced dogs – topped with every imaginable condiment – hot mustard, sweet mustard, jalapenos, spaghetti sauce, regular relish, corn relish, maple syrup salsa and the secret sauce of Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.). ("If I told you the recipe," an aide explained, "I'd have to shoot you.")
-
- In a wooden frame, the projection or shoulder at the side of, or around, a tenon, on a tenoned piece.
- Something that is greatly liked or savoured.
Hyponyms
- See also Thesaurus:seasoning
Derived terms
- India relish
Translations
pleasing taste
|
savor; quality; characteristic tinge
|
fondness
|
pickled sauce
|
Verb
relish (third-person singular simple present relishes, present participle relishing, simple past and past participle relished)
- (transitive) To taste or eat with pleasure, to like the flavor of [from 16th c.]
- (transitive) To take great pleasure in.
- He relishes their time together.
- I don't relish the idea of going out tonight.
- c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene iii], column 2:
- Now Vlysses, I begin to relliſh thy aduice, / And I wil giue a taste of it forthwith / To Agamemnon, go we to him ſtraight:
- 1706, Francis Atterbury, A sermon preached at the Guild-Hall Chapel, September 28, 1706
- He knows how to prize his advantages, and to relish the honours which he enjoys.
- 2022 December 15, quoting Pat Cullen, “Tens of thousands of UK nurses go on strike in first such industrial action in NHS history”, in The Guardian:
- “Nurses are not relishing this,” she said. “We are acting with a very heavy heart. It has been a difficult decision taken by hundreds of thousands who begin to remove their labour from tomorrow in a bid to be heard, recognised and valued. […]
- (obsolete, intransitive) To taste; to have a specified taste or flavour. [16th–19th c.]
- 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 54573970, partition II, section 3, member 3:
- honourable enterprises are accompanied with dangers and damages, as experience evinceth; they will make the rest of thy life relish the better.
- c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The VVinters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene ii]:
- Had I been the finder-out of this secret, it would not have relish'd among my other discredits.
- 1695, John Woodward, An essay toward a natural history of the earth
- A theory, which, how much soever it may relish of wit and invention, hath no foundation in nature.
-
- (transitive) To give a taste to; to cause to taste nice, to make appetizing. [from 16th c.]
- 1717, John Dryden, “Book VIII. [The Story of Baucis and Philemon.]”, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 731548838, pages 285–286:
- By this the boiling Kettle had prepar'd, / And to the Table ſent, the ſmoaking Lard; / On which the eager Appetite they dine, / A ſav'ry Bit, that ſerv'd to relliſh Wine: [...]
-
- (obsolete, intransitive) To give pleasure.
Synonyms
(take pleasure in): : appreciate, delight in, enjoy, like, revel in
Derived terms
- disrelish
- relishable
- relisher
Translations
to taste or eat with pleasure; to like the flavor of
|
to take great pleasure in
|
(obsolete) to give a relish to; to cause to taste agreeably
|
(obsolete) to have a pleasing or appetizing taste
|
References
- relish in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
Anagrams
- Hilers, Riehls, Rishel, hirsel
French
Etymology
From English relish.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ʁe.liʃ/, /ʁɛ.liʃ/
- (Quebec) IPA(key): /ʁə.liʃ/
Audio (file)
Noun
relish f (uncountable)
- relish (pickled sauce)