gustus — Lewis & Short
gustus, ūs, m.kindred with Sanscr. ǵush, to be fond of; Gr. geu/w, geu/omai, geu=sis, taste,
I a tasting of food, a partaking slightly or eating a little of any thing (mostly post-Aug.; not in Cic.; cf.: gustatus, sapor).
I Lit.
1 In gen.:
minister inferre epulas et explorare gustu solitus,Tac. A. 12, 66:
explorare aliquid gustu,Col. 1, 8, 18; 2, 2, 20; cf. Plin. 31, 10, 46, § 114:
gustu libata potio,Tac. A. 13, 16:
cum ille ad primum gustum concidisset,Suet. Ner. 33:
sine crebro salis gustu,Plin. 31, 6, 32, § 61.—
2 In partic.
a A light dish at the beginning of a Roman meal, an antepast, whet, relish, = gustatio, Mart. 11, 31, 4; 11, 52, 12:
gustus elementa per omnia quaerunt,Juv. 11, 14.—Also in a neutr. form:
gustum versatile sic facies,Apic. 4, 5, § 181 sqq.—
b A draught of water:
profer ex illa amphora gustum,Petr. 77 fin.—
B Transf., taste, flavor, = sapor (post-Aug.):
attrahatur spiritu is sucus, donec in ore gustus ejus sentiatur,Cels. 6, 8, 6; Col. 3, 2, 24; Plin. 14, 1, 3, § 12; 26, 8, 50, § 82; 27, 12, 96, § 121 sq.—
II Trop. (post-Aug.).
A (Acc. to I. 2. a.) A foretaste, specimen:
ad hunc gustum totum librum repromitto,Plin. Ep. 4, 27, 5:
expetens versificationis nostrae gustum,Col. 11, 1, 2:
gustum tibi dare volui,Sen. Ep. 114, 18.—
B (Acc. to I. B.) Taste:
urbanitas significat sermonem praeferentem in verbis et sono et usu proprium quendam gustum urbis,Quint. 6, 3, 17.