appetite

appetite
/ap"i tuyt'/, n.
1. a desire for food or drink: I have no appetite for lunch today.
2. a desire to satisfy any bodily need or craving.
3. a desire or liking for something; fondness; taste: an appetite for power; an appetite for pleasure.
[1275-1325; ME appetit ( < AF) < L appetitus natural desire, equiv. to appeti- (var. s. of appetere; see APPETENCE) + -tus suffix of v. action]
Syn. 1-3. longing, hunger. 1, 3. thirst. 2. inclination, wish. 3. relish, gusto, zest.
Ant. 1-3. satiety.

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diet
      the desire to eat. Appetite is influenced by a number of hormones (hormone) and neurotransmitters (neurotransmitter), which have been classified as appetite stimulants or appetite suppressants. Many of these substances are involved in mediating metabolic processes. For example, the gastrointestinal substance known as ghrelin, which regulates fat storage and metabolism, stimulates appetite. Likewise, agouti-related protein and neuropeptide Y, substances produced in the brain, act as appetite stimulants. In animals and humans appetite suppressants include melanocyte-stimulating hormone, insulin, and leptin, a protein hormone secreted by adipose (adipose cell) cells that acts on the hypothalamus in the brain.

      Appetite is often associated with the desire to eat particular foods based on their smell, flavour, appearance, and appeal; this is a primary factor separating appetite from the primary motive of hunger. In addition, a person may be totally filled with food from a meal and still have an “appetite” for dessert. Furthermore, appetite may be increased or diminished depending on pleasant or unpleasant experiences associated with certain foods.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Appetite — • A tendency, an inclination, or direction Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Appetite     Appetite     † …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Appetite — Ap pe*tite, n. [OE. appetit, F. app[ e]tit, fr. L. appetitus, fr. appetere to strive after, long for; ad + petere to seek. See {Petition}, and cf. {Appetence}.] 1. The desire for some personal gratification, either of the body or of the mind.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • appetite — (n.) c.1300, craving for food, from Anglo Fr. appetit, O.Fr. apetit (13c.) appetite, desire, eagerness, from L. appetitus appetite, lit. desire toward, from appetitus, pp. of appetere to long for, desire; strive for, grasp at, from ad to (see AD… …   Etymology dictionary

  • appetite — ► NOUN 1) a natural desire to satisfy a bodily need, especially for food. 2) a liking or inclination: my appetite for study had gone. DERIVATIVES appetitive adjective. ORIGIN Latin appetitus desire for , from appetere seek after …   English terms dictionary

  • appetite — [ap′ə tīt΄] n. [OFr apetit < L appetitus, eager desire for < appetere, to strive after < ad , to + petere, desire: see FEATHER] 1. a desire to satisfy some craving of the body; specif., a desire for food, or, sometimes, a desire for some …   English World dictionary

  • appetite — index desire, penchant, predilection, predisposition Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • appetite — *desire, lust, passion, urge Analogous words: hungering or hunger, thirsting or thirst, yearning, longing (see LONG vb): craving, wishing, coveting (see DESIRE vb): impulse, spring, *motive: *cupidity, greed Contrasted words: abnegation, self… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • appetite — [n] desire for food, worldly goods appetence, appetency, appetition, big eyes*, craving, demand, fondness, gluttony, greed, hankering, hunger, inclination, itch*, liking, longing, lust, passion, penchant, proclivity, propensity, ravenousness,… …   New thesaurus

  • appetite — noun 1 desire for food ADJECTIVE ▪ big, enormous, gargantuan, good, healthy, hearty, huge, insatiable, large, ravenous …   Collocations dictionary

  • Appetite — The appetite is the desire to eat food, felt as hunger. Appetite exists in all higher lifeforms, and serves to regulate adequate energy intake to maintain metabolic needs. It is regulated by a close interplay between the digestive tract, adipose… …   Wikipedia

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