Organoleptic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɔː(ɹ)ˌɡænəʊˈlɛptɪk/

Definitions

1. Concerning the sensory characteristics of a material, this term describes attributes that are perceived through taste, smell, and sight, as well as their tactile qualities
2. This expression refers to the sensory attributes of substances that are evaluated through taste, aroma, touch, and visual perception
3. Relating to the sensory evaluation of substances, this term encompasses qualities perceived through taste, smell, sight, and the sense of touch

Etymology: "Organoleptic" is a scientific coinage built from Greek parts, and its name describes what it does: it means something like "taking in through the organs." The first half, "organo-", comes from "organon," the Greek word for an instrument or organ of the body. The second half comes from "lēptikos," meaning "disposed to take," which is rooted in "lambanō," "to take." Put together, the word refers to the way the body's organs take in impressions from the world. The term came into English through French, where "organoleptique" was the source. Its use is firmly modern, reflecting the scientific habit of assembling new technical vocabulary from classical roots when a precise word was needed. Ancient Greek speakers had no such word, so the term's meaning was fixed by the people who built it rather than inherited from antiquity. In practice the word is most at home in food science, perfumery, and quality testing, where a sample is judged by how it tastes, smells, looks, or feels in the hand rather than by a chemical measurement. A wine's "organoleptic qualities" are the notes a taster detects with the senses.

Synonyms: sensory, perceptual