What is a palate cleanser?

A palate cleanser is a food or drink that refreshes your sense of taste to help you appreciate the next thing you will consume (e.g., “White bread is a good palate cleanser for wine tasting”).

You can also use the term “palate cleanser” figuratively to describe anything that offers a refreshing break from an intense or repetitive experience (e.g., “I’ve just finished a very intellectual novel, so I’m going to read a thriller as a palate cleanser”).

On a related note, if you’re having difficulty deciding whether palate, palette, or pallet is the word you need; “palette” typically means “a set of colors” and “pallet” usually refers to “a wooden platform for storing and moving goods.”

QuillBot’s free Paraphraser will help you find alternative ways of expressing the concept of a “palate cleanser” in your writing.