aftertaste means A taste of something that persists when it is no longer present. It carries an Arena rating of 1558, earned across 2 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, aftertaste ranks #902 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #1,301 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words, #1,409 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #2,803 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words.
aftertaste is pronounced /ˈæftɚˌteɪst/.
Why “aftertaste” is a great word
The lingering flavor sensation that persists in the mouth after the substance that caused it is no longer present. From the English 'after' (subsequent in time or position) + 'taste' (sensation of flavor), first recorded in 1820–30. Unlike 'flavor' (the immediate impression during consumption) or 'finish' (a technical, often favorable judgment of final texture), aftertaste is the stubborn residue that outlives the occasion. It is the astringent ghost of cheap coffee long after the cup is empty, the metallic echo of a vitamin tablet, or the phantom sweetness of an artificial sweetener haunting the back of the tongue—the final, unbidden witness to what has already been swallowed, proof that some sensations refuse to vanish with their cause.
Etymology
From after- + taste.
noun
- A taste of something that persists when it is no longer present.e.g.“Canopy 19 is perfectly placed
For the reasonably frightening fall from the aftertaste
You'll have to slip away, I am unhappy to say
Behold as the crook in the hammock plays” — 2009, Alex Turner, “Pretty Visitors”, in Humbug (album), performed by Arctic Monkeys:
- The persistence of the taste of something no longer present.e.g.“Many people think certain artificial sweeteners have an unpleasant aftertaste.”
- finish.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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