taster

taster — noun

1. a person who tries food or drink professionally to assess its quality, especiall

1.nounB1
Definition

a person who tries food or drink professionally to assess its quality, especially in the wine, tea, coffee, or chocolate industries

Example

The winery hired a professional taster to check the quality of each new batch.

compound noun: professional taster / wine taster

A tea taster can identify a tea's growing region just by the flavour.

Common collocations
  • wine taster
  • tea taster
  • coffee taster
  • chocolate taster
  • professional taster
Synonyms
  • sampler

    less common and more general; can refer to a person or a product sample

  • connoisseur

    implies expert knowledge and appreciation, not necessarily a paid tasting job

Usage Note

Can be combined with a product name to form compound nouns such as wine taster, tea taster, coffee taster, or chocolate taster.

Common Mistakes

The chef asked the waiter to be a taster of the soup.
The chef asked the waiter to taste the soup.
'taster' is a job title for someone who evaluates quality professionally, not someone who tastes something once.

2. a small sample or brief experience that gives you an idea of what the complete t

2.nounB1
Definition

a small sample or brief experience that gives you an idea of what the complete thing is like, often designed to encourage you to get the full version

Example

The university offers a taster course for students who are thinking of studying law.

compound noun: taster course

Romi took a pottery taster session to see if she liked working with clay.

Common collocations
  • taster course
  • taster session
  • taster menu
  • taster pack
  • a taster of
Synonyms
  • sample

    more common; a small amount that shows the quality of something

  • preview

    focuses on showing something before the full version is released, especially in media

  • trial

    involves testing something to see if it works or suits you

Grammar Patterns

a taster of [something]

Usage Note

Often used before a noun to form compound nouns: taster course, taster session, taster menu, taster pack. The pattern 'a taster of + noun phrase' is also common.

Common Mistakes

I had a taster of her cake at the party.
I had a taste of her cake at the party.
'a taster' suggests a deliberate preview that represents something bigger; for casually trying food, use 'a taste'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four words refer to a small experience of something, but they differ in how they are used. A 'sample' is the most general term — a small part used to judge the whole, like a fabric sample or a blood sample. A 'preview' specifically means seeing or hearing something before the full version is released, most often for films, books, or TV shows. A 'trial' involves testing something over a period to see if it works for you, such as a free trial of software. 'Taste' (as a noun) is casual and closer to sense 1 — literally trying a small amount of food or drink. 'Taster' is somewhere between 'sample' and 'preview': it is often used for experiences or products that come as a set of small portions (taster menu) or a short introductory event (taster course). For example, you would say 'I took a sample of the paint home to test it,' but 'I attended a taster session for the language course.'

sample ↗preview ↗trial ↗taste ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • a taster of

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'taster' is formed from the verb 'taste' (meaning to try food or drink with the mouth) plus the agent suffix '-er' (meaning 'a person who does something'). The verb 'taste' comes from Old French 'taster', which meant 'to taste, to try, to sample'. That French word came from Vulgar Latin 'tastare', probably derived from Latin 'tangere', meaning 'to touch'. The second meaning — a small sample of something — developed naturally from the idea of a portion that you taste to decide if you want more.