noun
- keen relish; hearty enjoyment; gusto.
- an agreeable or piquant flavor imparted to something.
- anything added to impart flavor, enhance one’s appreciation, etc.
- piquancy; interest; charm.
- liveliness or energy; animating spirit.
- the peel, especially the thin outer peel, of a citrus fruit used for flavoring: lemon zest.
verb (used with object)
- to give zest, relish, or piquancy to.
noun
- invigorating or keen excitement or enjoymenta zest for living
- added interest, flavour, or charm; piquancyher presence gave zest to the occasion
- something added to give flavour or relish
- the peel or skin of an orange or lemon, used as flavouring in drinks, etc
verb
- (tr) to give flavour, interest, or piquancy to
1670s, from French zeste “piece of orange or lemon peel used as a flavoring,” of unknown origin. Sense of “thing that adds flavor” is 1709; that of “keen enjoyment” first attested 1791.