zest means the outer skin of a citrus fruit, used as a flavouring or garnish. It carries an Arena rating of 1774, earned across 18 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, zest ranks #27 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #287 of 42,747 for Qualifying, #777 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words, #866 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
zest is pronounced /zɛst/.
Why “zest” is a great word
The outer, colored part of a citrus peel, used as a flavoring, or by extension, great enthusiasm, energy, or piquancy. Borrowed from French 'zeste' (piece of orange or lemon peel used as a flavoring), a word of unknown origin, first attested in English in the 1670s. Unlike 'gusto,' which implies vigorous relish in an act, or 'relish,' which suggests deliberate savoring, zest is the inherent spark that makes the act or object worthy of such enjoyment. It is the fragrant oil misting from a twist of peel, the sharp brightness cutting through richness, the vital charge that transforms duty into pleasure—the concentrated proof that the surface of things holds their most potent spirit.
Etymology
Borrowed from French zeste.
noun
- The outer skin of a citrus fruit, used as a flavouring or garnish.e.g.“The orange zest gives the strong flavor in this dish.”
- General vibrance of flavour.e.g.“I add zest to the meat by rubbing it with a spice mixture before grilling.”
- Enthusiasm; keen enjoyment; exciting and interesting; relish or gusto; a state of being zesty.e.g.“Auntie Mame had a real zest for life.”
- The woody, thick skin enclosing the kernel of a walnut.e.g.“The green zest of walnuts was used by the women to shine their teeth and it also gave a beautiful rust colour to their lips.” — 2006, N. J. Nusha, On the Edge (Short Stories), Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, page 85:
- State of being a flamboyant or effeminate homosexual.
verb
- To scrape the zest from a fruit.
- To make more zesty.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.