zest, n.¹

zest
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zest_n1%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2018

# zestnoun1

## Earlier version

- zest, n.¹ in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zest mean?

There are five meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun zest, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

### How common is the noun zest?

About 1occurrence per million words in modern written English

1750 | 0.079
1760 | 0.15
1770 | 0.25
1780 | 0.37
1790 | 0.49
1800 | 0.62
1810 | 0.78
1820 | 1.0
1830 | 1.2
1840 | 1.5
1850 | 1.6
1860 | 1.7
1870 | 1.8
1880 | 1.8
1890 | 2.0
1900 | 2.3
1910 | 2.7
1920 | 2.9
1930 | 2.9
1940 | 2.6
1950 | 2.2
1960 | 1.8
1970 | 1.4
1980 | 1.3
1990 | 1.2
2000 | 1.3
2010 | 1.3

### How is the noun zest pronounced?

#### British English

/zɛst/
zest

#### U.S. English

/zɛst/
zest

### Where does the noun zest come from?

Earliest known use

late 1600s

The earliest known use of the noun zest is in the late 1600s.

OED's earliest evidence for zest is from 1674, in the writing of Thomas Blount, antiquary and lexicographer.

zest is a borrowing from French.

Etymons: French zeste, zest.

### Nearby entries

1. zero rating, n. 1971–
2. zero sound, n. 1957–
3. zero-sum, adj. 1944–
4. zeroth, adj. 1850–
5. zero tillage, n. 1963–
6. zero tolerance, n. 1940–
7. zerovalent, adj. 1906–
8. zero waste, adj. & n. 1974–
9. zero-zero, adj. & n. 1930–
10. zerumbet, n. 1640–
11. zest, n.¹1674–
12. zest, n.² 1706
13. zest, v. 1702–
14. zest, int. 1705–22
15. zester, n. 1963–
16. zestful, adj. 1797–
17. zestfully, adv. 1843–
18. zestiness, n. 1912–
19. zesty, adj. 1826–
20. zeta, n.¹?a1425–
21. zeta, n.² 1706–1860

## Etymology

### Summary

A borrowing from French.
Etymons: French zeste, zest.
< French zeste, †zest outer coloured part of the peel of citrus fruit, used as a flavouring or for preserving (1645), extended use of †zest (1611 in Cotgrave), variant or alteration of †zec (1544 in…
< French zeste, †zest outer coloured part of the peel of citrus fruit, used as a flavouring or for preserving (1645), extended use of †zest (1611 in Cotgrave), variant or alteration of †zec (1544 in Middle French), both in sense ‘membrane dividing the kernel of a walnut’, itself an extended use of zec object of no importance, trifle (1536 in il ne vaut pas un zec) < a base (probably of expressive origin) referring to something of little or no value (compare zigzag n., which is probably ultimately related).

### Notes

Senses 2, 3, and 4 probably partly reflect specific semantic development within English, and partly influence from French zest, interjection (see zest int.), which ultimately shows the same origin. The sense ‘energy, enthusiasm, vivacity’ (compare sense 4a) is only attested in French considerably later than in English (20th cent.), while senses 2 and 3 appear to lack parallels in French.
A sense ‘woody, thick skin which quarters the kernel of a walnut’ is recorded in several 18th-cent. dictionaries (e.g. Chambers Cycl. (1728), Bailey, and T. H. Croker Compl. Dict. Arts & Sci. (1765)), but appears to reflect the corresponding sense in French, rather than ever having been in genuine English use.

## Meaning & use

1. 1.
   1674–
   The outer coloured part of the peel of a citrus fruit, esp. an orange or lemon, cut or scraped from the fruit and, having a particularly sharp or piquant taste, used as a flavouring or garnish. Formerly also: †the oil squeezed from such peel used to flavour drinks, etc. (obsolete).
   1. 1674

      > Zest (Fr.) the pill of an Orange, or such like, squeesed into a glass of wine, to give it a relish.

      T. Blount, Glossographia (ed. 4)
   2. 1712

      > Citron Oil..is made..by the Zest or the rasping or grating of the Citron Peel.

      J. Browne, translation of P. Pomet et al. Compleat History of Druggs vol. I. 150
   3. ?1750

      > Pour into the Palm of the Hand a little Brandy, with some Zist of Lemon.

      J. Wesley, Primitive Physick (ed. 2) 76
   4. 1800

      > To prepare lemon-juice you must first carefully remove the zest and then the white part.

      translation of E. J. B. Bouillon-Lagrange, Manual of Course of Chemistry vol. II. 173
   5. 1877

      > Parfait Amour is made of the bitter zest of limes.

      E. S. Dallas, Kettner's Book of Table 328
   6. 1903

      > As he..fastidiously deprived the oranges of their zest.

      R. M. Gilchrist, Beggar's Manor ii
   7. 1974

      > Add candied peel, lemon zeste, salt and nutmeg and mix.

      Homes & Gardens January 68/2
   8. 2014

      > Stir in the splash of vinegar, lemon juice, and zest.

      New York Magazine 10 November 88/2
   1. zest 1674–
      The outer coloured part of the peel of a citrus fruit, esp. an orange or lemon, cut or scraped from the fruit and, having a particularly sharp or…
   View in Historical Thesaurus
2. 2.
   1704–
   Something which adds flavour or piquancy to a meal, esp. as an accompaniment. In later use also: a piquant or pleasantly sharp flavour; piquancy, flavoursome quality.
   In quot. 1704 in figurative context. Cf. sense 3.
   1. 1704

      > For he with toe Episcopale, Thereto gave such a zest, Their Lordships straight grew Squeamish all None could the same Digest.

      A. Maynwaring, Hist. & Fall Conformity Bill (single sheet)
   2. 1795

      > There you have game, and fowl, and fish, well drest, And neat old Port, to give the whole a zest.

      H. Cowley, Town before You Prologue p. xiii
   3. 1836

      > Mr. Wilkins had brought a pint of shrimps..to give a zest to the meal [sc. tea].

      C. Dickens, Sketches by Boz 1st Series vol. I. 80
   4. 1847

      > The Native had private zests and flavours on a side-table, with which the Major daily scorched himself.

      C. Dickens, Dombey & Son (1848) xxvi. 267
   5. 1848

      > ‘I like these rides into the country’, said Vincent, as they began eating;..‘it is exquisite as a zest’.

      J. H. Newman, Loss & Gain 154
   6. 1856

      > We..renewed the zest of the table with the best salad in the world—raw eggs and cochlearia.

      E. K. Kane, Arctic Explorations vol. II. xxvii. 273
   7. 1876

      > For a cheap relish, a zest which shall make bread and butter supply the place of dinner, your fishmonger is your best friend.

      M. E. Braddon, Dead Men's Shoes i. 8
   8. 1905

      > The mustard, prepared with spices and herbs, adds a fine zest to the blending.

      Boston Daily Globe 28 February 3/1
   9. 1990

      > Leaves add zest to meals.

      St. Petersburg (Florida) Times (Nexis) 14 December 2d
   10. 2015

       > A hint of mint, a dash of pesto and a handful of arugula keep the meal surprisingly tasty, given punch by the zest of fresh tomatoes.

       Business Mirror (Philippines) (Nexis) 9 May
   1. zest 1704–
      Something which adds flavour or piquancy to a meal, esp. as an accompaniment. In later use also: a piquant or pleasantly sharp flavour; piquancy…
   2. sass 1775–
      Vegetables; esp. garden vegetables grown as food. Frequently with modifying word, as garden, green, etc. Cf. sauce, n. I.2a. Now rare.
   3. relish 1826–
      Something of savoury of piquant taste. Originally U.S. A piquant or spicy condiment eaten with food to add flavour; spec. a sauce made of chopped…
   4. kinaki 1846–
      Chiefly in Māori contexts: a foodstuff which is eaten with another to complement or add flavour to it; a tasty addition to a meal, a relish. Also as…
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. smack 1573–1600
      Pleasant or agreeable taste or relish. Obsolete.
   2. relish 1599–
      Appetizing or pleasing flavour or quality; an instance of this. Frequently in negative constructions. Now rare.
   3. gust 1649–
      Pleasing taste or gratifying flavour; relish (as of something eaten or drunk).
   4. hogo 1653–1702
      A strong or piquant flavour; a pleasant taste; = haut-goût, n. 1. Obsolete.
   5. zest 1704–
      Something which adds flavour or piquancy to a meal, esp. as an accompaniment. In later use also: a piquant or pleasantly sharp flavour; piquancy…
   6. zing 1956–
      A zesty, tangy, or piquant flavour, as that of citrus.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
3. 3.
   1709–
   figurative. Something which imparts excitement, energy, or interest; a stimulating or invigorating quality which adds to the enjoyment or agreeableness of something.
   1. 1709

      > Monsieur St. Amant lov'd nothing so tenderly as he did the Baron;..he was the Zest to all his Pleasures.

      D. Manley, Secret Memoirs 107
   2. 1745

      > The Life of Life, the Zest of worldly Bliss.

      E. Young, Consolation 61
   3. 1820

      > There was a quaintness too, mingled with all this revelry, that gave it a peculiar zest.

      W. Irving, Sketch Book vol. II. 134
   4. a1821

      > That sweet minor zest Of love, your kiss.

      J. Keats, I cry you Mercy in R. M. Milnes, Life, Letters & Literary Remains Keats (1848) vol. II. 305
   5. 1862

      > The sense that, perhaps, it was imprudent to take a cab or drink a bottle of wine, added a zest to those enjoyments.

      W. M. Thackeray, Adventures of Philip vol. I. xvi. 303
   6. 1910

      > Of the few nippy retorts that lent zest to the contest, one..is credited to Sir Robert Cranston.

      Westminster Gazette 7 February 4/1
   7. 1976

      > The unexploded bombs that add zest to the scraper's life in Northeast Cove.

      W. W. Warner, Beautiful Swimmers ix. 212
   8. 2003

      > I wonder if the literary techniques of grand narrative..might not have some use in giving breadth and zest to large subjects like molecular biology.

      Isis vol. 94 196/1
   1. savour?c1225–
      Pleasing, enjoyable, or attractive quality; merit, value. Now frequently in negative constructions.
   2. sauce 1561–
      figurative. Something which adds to, modifies, or has a significant effect on an experience, situation, action, etc.; an affecting circumstance or…
   3. haut-goût 1650–1710
      figurative. ‘Flavour’, ‘spice’.
   4. rocambole 1702
      figurative. Something which provides piquancy or zest. Obsolete. rare.
   5. zest 1709–
      figurative. Something which imparts excitement, energy, or interest; a stimulating or invigorating quality which adds to the enjoyment or…
   6. sauce piquante 1759–
      A sauce with sharp, tangy, or spicy flavour; (figurative and in figurative contexts) something regarded as having an arresting, exciting, or…
   7. Tabasco 1894–
      More fully Tabasco (pepper) sauce. figurative and in figurative contexts. A person or thing likened to Tabasco sauce, esp. in being caustic or…
   8. zestiness 1977–
      The quality or state of being zesty (in various senses).
   View in Historical Thesaurus
4. 4.
   figurative.
   1. 4.a.
      1758–
      Enthusiasm for and enjoyment of something, esp. as displayed in speech or action; gusto, relish. Frequently with for.
      1. 1758

         > The nymphs and swains in consequence of their late instructions enjoyed pleasure with a new zest.

         New Atalantis (ed. 2) 28
      2. 1791

         > If I were to reside in London, the exquisite zest with which I relished it in occasional visits might go off.

         J. Boswell, Life of Johnson anno 1777 vol. II. 160
      3. 1831

         > After travelling..for two or three days alone, when he arrives at an inn, it gives him a greater zest for society.

         J. Sinclair, Correspondence vol. II. 358
      4. 1843

         > She went to a lying-in or a laying-out with equal zest.

         C. Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit (1844) xix. 236
      5. 1895

         > The Greek people had an almost unrivalled zest for life.

         S. D. F. Salmond, Christian Doctrine of Immortality i. vii. 119
      6. 1927

         > So we bundle along over Germany, and very dull it is—Surely I haven't lost my zest for travel?

         V. Sackville-West, Letter 29 January in Letters to V. Woolf (1984) 144
      7. 1969

         > He looked forward with juvenile zest to the delightful effect of a spoonful of sodium bicarbonate dissolved in water.

         V. Nabokov, Ada v. 570
      8. 2009

         > Her brushes with death have given her an extra zest for life.

         Birmingham Evening Mail (Nexis) 9 January 3
      1. exaltation a1513–
         In non-material sense. Elation of feeling; a state of rapturous emotion; an undue degree of pleasurable excitement. Also Pathology (see quot. 1884).
      2. exhilaration 1626–
         The condition or feeling of being exhilarated.
      3. gusto 1629–
         Keen relish or enjoyment displayed in speech or action; zest.
      4. gust 1635–
         Keen relish, appreciation, or enjoyment, esp. as displayed in speech or action.
      5. warmth 1749–
         Excitement, exhilaration. rare.
      6. zest 1758–
         figurative. Enthusiasm for and enjoyment of something, esp. as displayed in speech or action; gusto, relish. Frequently with for.
      View in Historical Thesaurus
      1. smack 1340–1620
         figurative. Delight or enjoyment; inclination, relish. Chiefly in phrases. Obsolete.
      2. relish a1591–
         Enjoyment of the taste or flavour of something; the pleasure of tasting or enjoying something… Without construction.
      3. taste 1604–1707
         Enjoyment, pleasure, ‘relish’. Const. in, of.
      4. zest 1758–
         figurative. Enthusiasm for and enjoyment of something, esp. as displayed in speech or action; gusto, relish. Frequently with for.
      View in Historical Thesaurus
   2. 4.b.
      1818
      † to a person's zest: to a person's taste or liking. Obsolete. rare.
      1. 1818

         > That picture..Is loveliest to my mind of all the show; It may perhaps be also to your zest.

         Lord Byron, Beppo xii. 7
      1. to pay c1300–1603
         Satisfaction, pleasure, liking. Obsolete.
      2. to (also at, after, in) a person's liking c1330–
         to (also at, after, in) a person's liking and variants: suiting, or so as to suit, a person's tastes, preferences, or wishes.
      3. to pleasure 1439–1820
         to a person's pleasure: to a person's liking; so or such as to please. Also to pleasure. Obsolete (rare after 15th cent.).
      4. to a person's zest 1818
         figurative. to a person's zest: to a person's taste or liking. Obsolete. rare.
      View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/zɛst/
zest

### U.S. English

/zɛst/
zest

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.

##### Consonants

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values

- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige

##### Vowels

- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot

## Forms

### Variant forms

1. 1600s–
   zest
2. 1700s
   zist
3. 1900s–
   zeste

## Frequency

zest typically occurs about once per million words in modern written English.

zest is in frequency band 5, which contains words occurring between 1 and 10 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zest, n.¹, 1750–2010

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.

The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.

For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.

Decade | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
1750 | 0.079
1760 | 0.15
1770 | 0.25
1780 | 0.37
1790 | 0.49
1800 | 0.62
1810 | 0.78
1820 | 1.0
1830 | 1.2
1840 | 1.5
1850 | 1.6
1860 | 1.7
1870 | 1.8
1880 | 1.8
1890 | 2.0
1900 | 2.3
1910 | 2.7
1920 | 2.9
1930 | 2.9
1940 | 2.6
1950 | 2.2
1960 | 1.8
1970 | 1.4
1980 | 1.3
1990 | 1.2
2000 | 1.3
2010 | 1.3

### Frequency of zest, n.¹, 2017–2024

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Modern frequency series are derived from a corpus of 20 billion words, covering the period from 2017 to the present. The corpus is mainly compiled from online news sources, and covers all major varieties of World English.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the corpus.

Period | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
2017 | 1.2
2018 | 1.2
2019 | 1.1
2020 | 1.1
2021 | 1.2
2022 | 1.2
2023 | 1.3
2024 | 1.3

## Compounds & derived words

Sort by

1. zest, v. 1702–
   transitive. To scrape the zest from (a citrus…

1. zestful, adj. 1797–
   figurative. Full of zest; invigorating…

1. zesty, adj. 1826–
   Of a taste, smell, or food: piquant, tangy…

1. zester, n. 1963–
   A utensil designed to remove the outer rind of…

zest, n.¹ was revised in June 2018.

zest, n.¹ was last modified in September 2024.