taste bud

noun

: an end organ mediating the sensation of taste and lying chiefly in the epithelium of the tongue

Examples of taste bud in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These caramels are rich and buttery with a decidedly chocolate flavor and punch of salt to keep your taste buds excited. —Kelly Brant, arkansasonline.com, 7 Jan. 2025

Dumplings also might appeal to more taste buds, Whole Foods said, with intriguing flavors such as pizza bao or chicken parmesan added to spice up the doughy staple. —Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, 3 Jan. 2025

Your taste buds – and your peace of mind – will appreciate it! —Ronny Maye, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024

The combination of low air pressure and cabin dryness dulls taste buds and messes with our odor receptors, leading to a decrease in sweet and salty flavor detection of about 30%. —Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

taste bud

noun

: any of the sense organs by means of which taste is recognized and which are usually on the surface of the tongue

Medical Definition

taste bud

noun

: an end organ that mediates the sensation of taste, lies chiefly in the epithelium of the tongue and especially in the walls of the circumvallate papillae, and consists of a conical or flask-shaped mass made up partly of supporting cells and partly of neuroepithelial sensory cells terminating peripherally in short hairlike processes which project into the pore in the overlying epithelium and by which communication with the mouth cavity is effected