The roof of the mouth inside your mouth; also used figuratively to mean your sense of taste or preference for flavors.
From Latin 'palatum,' possibly related to 'palus' (stake or palisade), suggesting the 'wooden roof' of the mouth. The word entered English through Old French and has meant both the physical roof of the mouth and, metaphorically, one's taste in food since the 1300s.
English uses 'palate' (roof of mouth) for taste, but sounds nearly identical to 'palette' (artist's colors) and 'pallet' (wooden shipping platform)—three completely different things, same pronunciation. It's a famous example of English homophones confusing everyone from students to spell-check software.
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