What is the Latin word for foretaste?

The usual Latin words for “foretaste” are gustus, praegustō, praelībō; also Stātius. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“foretaste” in Latin

gustusa tasting praegustōto taste (eat or drink) beforehand praelībōto foretaste (taste beforehand); to taste, savour; to examine, go through; to skim over; to say succinctly Stātiusa masculine praenomen, famously held by

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

foretaste s.

FIG., gustus (☞ not praesensio, which means “presentiment”). To give a foretaste of anything, alicui gustum dare alicujus rei: to give anybody a foretaste of joy, aliquem gaudio delibutum reddere (Ter., Phorm., 5, 6, 16): to have a foretaste of, aliquid gustare: to have only a foretaste of, primis labris gustavisse rem.

foretaste v.

PROPR., praegustare: praelibare (to taste before another person; e.g., as cup-bearer nectar, Statius).

IMPROPR., Vid: “To have a FORETASTE of.” FORETELL, praedicere: praenunciare: vaticinari: augurari [SYN. in PROPHECY.] To foretell anybody’s fate, praedicere quid alicui eventurum sit: to foretell anybody’s death, alicui mortem augurari. If = forebode (of things), Vid.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for foretaste?: The usual Latin words for “foretaste” are gustus, praegustō, praelībō; also Stātius. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.