One entry found for zest.

Main Entry: zest
Pronunciation: zest
Function: noun
Etymology: from obsolete French zest (now zeste) "orange or lemon peel used for flavoring"
1 : a piece of the peel of a citrus fruit (as an orange or lemon) used as a flavoring
2 : a quality that increases enjoyment <added zest to the performance>
3 : keen enjoyment : RELISH <has a zest for life>
- zest·ful /-fl/ adjective
- zest·ful·ly /-f-l/ adverb
- zest·ful·ness noun
- zesty /zes-t/ adjective
Word History Zest was borrowed into English in the 17th century from the French zest (now spelled zeste), meaning "an orange or lemon peel." Where the French got the word we do not know. The peels of oranges and lemons are sometimes used to add flavor to food and drinks. The earliest uses of zest in English refer to the peel of such fruit used in this way. By the early 18th century, however, zest had developed another meaning. It was used to refer to a quality that adds enjoyment to something, in the same way that the zest of an orange or lemon adds flavor to food.