zest

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

zest, n. [F. zeste, probably fr. L. schistos split, cleft, divided, Gr. , from to split, cleave. Cf. Schism.].

•  A piece of orange or lemon peel, or the aromatic oil which may be squeezed from such peel, used to give flavor to liquor, etc.  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence, something that gives or enhances a pleasant taste, or the taste itself; an appetizer; also, keen enjoyment; relish; gusto.  [1913 Webster]

  "Almighty Vanity! to thee they owe
  Their zest of pleasure, and their balm of woe."  [1913 Webster]

  "Liberality of disposition and conduct gives the highest zest and relish to social intercourse."  [1913 Webster]
•  The woody, thick skin inclosing the kernel of a walnut.  [1913 Webster]

zest, v. t. 

•  To cut into thin slips, as the peel of an orange, lemon, etc.; to squeeze, as peel, over the surface of anything.  [1913 Webster]
•  To give a relish or flavor to; to heighten the taste or relish of; as, to zest wine.  Gibber.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

zest, n.
1 piquancy; a stimulating flavour or quality.
2 a keen enjoyment or interest. b (often foll. by for) relish. c gusto (entered into it with zest).
3 a scraping of orange or lemon peel as flavouring.

Derivative

zestful adj. zestfully adv. zestfulness n. zesty adj. (zestier, zestiest).

Etymology

F zeste orange or lemon peel, of unkn. orig.

THESAURUS

zest

activity, alacrity, amusement, animal pleasure, animal spirits, animation, anxiety, anxiousness, appetite, ardor, avidity, avidness, bite, bliss, bodily pleasure, breathless impatience, brio, briskness, capersomeness, carnal delight, cheerful readiness, coltishness, comfort, content, contentment, coziness, creature comforts, delectation, delight, eagerness, ease, ecstasy, edge, elan, elation, endpleasure, enjoyment, entertainment, enthusiasm, esprit, euphoria, exuberance, fervor, flavor, forepleasure, forwardness, friskiness, frolicsomeness, fruition, fun, gaiety, gamesomeness, gayness, ginger, glow, gratification, great satisfaction, gust, gusto, guts, heart, heartiness, hearty enjoyment, hotness, hunger, impatience, impetuosity, impetus, intellectual pleasure, interest, joie de vivre, keen desire, keen pleasure, keenness, kick, kicks, life, liveliness, lustiness, luxury, mettle, nip, nippiness, palate, passion, pepper, pepperiness, perkiness, pertness, physical pleasure, piquancy, piss and vinegar, playfulness, pleasure, promptness, punch, pungency, quickness, quiet pleasure, raciness, readiness, relish, robustness, rollicksomeness, rompishness, satisfaction, savor, self-gratification, self-indulgence, sensual pleasure, sensuous pleasure, sexual pleasure, skittishness, snap, snappiness, spice, spiciness, spirit, spiritedness, spirits, sportiveness, sprightliness, sweetness of life, tang, tanginess, thirst, titillation, verve, vigor, vim, vitality, vivacity, voluptuousness, warmth, well-being, zeal, zestfulness, zing, zip

ROGET THESAURUS

zest

Pleasure

N pleasure, gratification, enjoyment, fruition, oblectation, delectation, delection, relish, zest, gusto, satisfaction, complacency, well-being, good, snugness, comfort, ease, cushion, sans souci, without worry, mind at ease, joy, gladness, delight, glee, cheer, sunshine, cheerfulness, treat, refreshment, amusement, luxury, mens sana in corpore sano, a sound mind in a sound body, happiness, felicity, bliss, beatitude, beautification, enchantment, transport, rapture, ravishment, ecstasy, summum bonum, paradise, elysium, third heaven, seventh heaven, cloud nine, unalloyed happiness, hedonics, hedonism, honeymoon, palmy days, halcyon days, golden age, golden time, Dixie, Dixie's land, Saturnia regna, Arcadia, Shangri-La, happy valley, Agapemone, pleased, not sorry, glad, gladsome, pleased as Punch, happy, blest, blessed, blissful, beatified, happy as a clam at high water, happy as a clam, happy as a king, happy as the day is long, thrice happy, ter quaterque beatus, enjoying, joyful, hedonic, in a blissful state, in paradise, in raptures, in ecstasies, in a transport of delight, comfortable, at ease, content, sans souci, overjoyed, entranced, enchanted, enraptures, enravished, transported, fascinated, captivated, with a joyful face, with sparkling eyes, pleasing, ecstatic, beatic, painless, unalloyed, without alloy, cloudless, happily, with pleasure, with glee, one's heart leaping with joy, a wilderness of sweets, I wish you all the joy that you can wish, jour de ma vie, joy ruled the day and love the night, joys season'd high and tasting strong of guilt, oh happiness, our being's end and aim!, there is a pleasure that is born of pain, throned on highest bliss, vedi Napoli e poi muori, zwischen Freud und Leid ist die Brucke nicht weit, the bridge between joy and sorrow is not wide.

Savoriness

N savoriness, good taste, deliciousness, delectability, relish, zest, appetizer, tidbit, titbit, dainty, delicacy, tasty morsel, appetizer, hors d'ouvres, ambrosia, nectar, bonne-bouche, game, turtle, venison, delicatessen, savory, delicious, tasty, well-tasted, to one's taste, good, palatable, nice, dainty, delectable, toothful, toothsome, gustful, appetizing, lickerish, delicate, exquisite, rich, luscious, ambrosial, scrumptious, delightful, per amusare la bocca, cela se laisse manger.