1. Not agreeable to the palate. Also in fig. context.
1682. Dryden, Medal, 148. The Man … Might laugh again, to see a Jury chaw The prickles of unpalatable Law.
1700. T. Brown, Amusem., viii. Wks. 1720, III. 76. Our Doctor … cloys his Auditors with that unpalatable Ragoust.
1748. Anson’s Voy., II. viii. 218. We found them [sc. pearl oysters] extremely tough and unpalatable.
1799. J. Robertson, Agric. Perth, 206. The grass is coarse, unpalatable to cattle.
1846. Soyer, Cookery, 380. It would … cause the fillets to eat tough and altogether unpalatable.
1871. Darwin, Desc. Man, II. xi. I. 416. It would be highly advantageous to a caterpillar to be … recognised as unpalatable by all birds.
2. Unpleasant, distasteful, disagreeable.
1711. trans. Werenfelsius’ Disc. Logomachys, 201. These things, my Son, may at first seem, to your Age, unpalatable and hard.
1749. Smollett, Regic., IV. ii. Candid friendship that disdains to hide Unpalatable truth!
1829. Scott, Anne of G., xxvii. The Duke’s eye lowered gloomily on the deliverer of this unpalatable message.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xx. IV. 467. The King commanded himself sufficiently to return thanks for this unpalatable counsel.
Hence Unpalatableness.
1805. Saunders, Min. Waters, 82. Perhaps the unpalatableness of this drink has caused it to be in worse credit than it deserves.
