ZEST, noun 1. A piece of orange or lemon peel, used to give flavor to liquor; or the fine thin oil that spurts out of it when squeezed; also, the woody thick skin quartering the kernel of a walnut. 2. Relish; something that gives a pleasant taste; or the taste itself. ZEST, verb transitive 1. To give a relish or flavor to; to highten taste or relish. 2. To cut the peel of an orange or lemon from top to bottom into thin slips; or to squeeze the peel over the surface of any thing.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI