I. ˈzest noun
( -s )
Etymology: obsolete French zest (now zeste ) orange or lemon peel
1. : a piece of the peel or of the thin oily outer skin of an orange or lemon used as flavoring (as for liquor)
2. : a quality of enhancing enjoyment : piquancy
younger children added a zest and life to the … fair — Springfield (Massachusetts) Union
hot tamales also added zest to the diet — R.W.Murray
3. : keen enjoyment : relish , gusto
years of grinding work … had failed to kill her zest for living — Edna Ferber
enjoying the meal with full youthful zest — J.C.Powys
people who are losing their zest , imagination, joy, and awe, and are filled with boredom — J.B.Priestley
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to give a relish or flavor to : heighten the taste or relish of