Library / English Dictionary

RELISH

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The taste experience when a savoury condiment is taken into the mouth

Synonyms:

flavor; flavour; nip; relish; sapidity; savor; savour; smack; tang

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("relish" is a kind of...):

gustatory perception; gustatory sensation; taste; taste perception; taste sensation (the sensation that results when taste buds in the tongue and throat convey information about the chemical composition of a soluble stimulus)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "relish"):

lemon (a distinctive tart flavor characteristic of lemons)

vanilla (a distinctive fragrant flavor characteristic of vanilla beans)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Vigorous and enthusiastic enjoyment

Synonyms:

gusto; relish; zest; zestfulness

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Hypernyms ("relish" is a kind of...):

enjoyment (the pleasure felt when having a good time)

enthusiasm (a feeling of excitement)

Derivation:

relish (derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Spicy or savory condiment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("relish" is a kind of...):

condiment (a preparation (a sauce or relish or spice) to enhance flavor or enjoyment)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "relish"):

olive (one-seeded fruit of the European olive tree usually pickled and used as a relish)

pickle (vegetables (especially cucumbers) preserved in brine or vinegar)

chowchow (chopped pickles in mustard sauce)

pickle relish (relish of chopped (usually sweet) pickles)

piccalilli (relish of chopped pickled cucumbers and green peppers and onion)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in

Example:

She relished her fame and basked in her glory

Synonyms:

bask; enjoy; relish; savor; savour

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

"Relish" entails doing...:

like (find enjoyable or agreeable)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "relish"):

feast one's eyes (look at with great enjoyment)

devour (enjoy avidly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s VERB-ing

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue relish the movie

Derivation:

relish (vigorous and enthusiastic enjoyment)

Credits

 Context examples: 

“I had my choice of the parts,” said Mr. Rushworth; “but I thought I should like the Count best, though I do not much relish the finery I am to have.”

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

The constant attention of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dashwood to his wishes, which proceeded not merely from interest, but from goodness of heart, gave him every degree of solid comfort which his age could receive; and the cheerfulness of the children added a relish to his existence.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

I wish I could say, for the sake of her family, that the accomplishment of her earnest desire in the establishment of so many of her children produced so happy an effect as to make her a sensible, amiable, well-informed woman for the rest of her life; though perhaps it was lucky for her husband, who might not have relished domestic felicity in so unusual a form, that she still was occasionally nervous and invariably silly.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

But papas and mammas, and brothers, and intimate friends are a good deal gone by, to most of the frequenters of Bath—and the honest relish of balls and plays, and everyday sights, is past with them.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

You have shown your relish for it by the enthusiasm which has prompted you to chronicle, and, if you will excuse my saying so, somewhat to embellish so many of my own little adventures.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

And romantic it certainly was—the fog, like the grey shadow of infinite mystery, brooding over the whirling speck of earth; and men, mere motes of light and sparkle, cursed with an insane relish for work, riding their steeds of wood and steel through the heart of the mystery, groping their way blindly through the Unseen, and clamouring and clanging in confident speech the while their hearts are heavy with incertitude and fear.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Adele went to kiss him before quitting the room: he endured the caress, but scarcely seemed to relish it more than Pilot would have done, nor so much.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Then, when I've got a start, I can take in a ragamuffin or two, just for a relish.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

We transported the shellfish, or the “relish” as Mr. Peggotty had modestly called it, up into our room unobserved, and made a great supper that evening.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

“And the French?” asked Alleyne, to whom the archer's light gossip had all the relish that the words of the man of action have for the recluse.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)