Lewis & Short

săpor, ōris, m. [sapio, I.].

  1. I. Lit., a taste, relish, flavor, savor (objectively of the taste inherent in a thing; whereas gustatus is used subjectively, of the taste experienced by him who eats or drinks; class.), Lucr. 2, 679; cf.: si quem forte inveneritis, qui aspernetur oculis pulchritudinem rerum, non odore ullo, non tactu, non sapore capiatur, excludat auribus omnem suavitatem, Cic. Cael. 17, 42: ut mel, suo proprio genere saporis, dulce esse sentitur, id. Fin. 3, 10, 34: in os salsi venit umor saepe saporis, Lucr. 4, 222; 2, 401: asper in ore sapor (amelli), Verg. G. 4, 277: tardus, id. ib. 2, 126: asper maris, Plin. 2, 100, 104, § 222: vini, id. 24, 9, 38, § 60: asperrimus, id. 14, 2, 4, § 22: dulcis, Hor. C. 3, 1, 19: odoratus et jucundus, Plin. 26, 8, 50, § 83: austerus, id. 25, 5, 20, § 45: tristi poma sapore, Ov. Tr. 4, 6, 12.
    In plur., Lucr. 2, 430; 2, 504; Hor. S. 2, 4, 36; Plin. 11, 37, 65, § 174; 8, 51, 77, § 209; 15, 27, 32, § 106 al.
    1. B. Transf. (poet. or in post-Aug. prose).
      1. 1. Subjectively for gustatus, a sense of taste, a taste which a person has of any thing: an poterunt oculos aures reprehendere? an aures Tactus? an hunc porro tactum sapor arguet oris? … Seorsus sapor oris habet vim, Lucr. 4, 487 sq.: aliis aliud taetrius esset orisque sapori, id. 2, 511.
      2. 2. Concr. (mostly in the plur.), that which tastes good, a dainty, delicacy, Tib. 1, 7, 35; Verg. G. 4, 62; Plin. 9, 17, 29, § 63; 12, 1, 2, § 4.
        In sing.: et tunsum gallae admiscere saporem, i.e. juice, Verg. G. 4, 267.
      3. 3. A smell, scent, odor, Plin. 32, 10, 39, § 117.
  2. II. Trop.
      1. 1. Of style: vernaculus, i.e. taste, elegance, Cic. Brut. 46, 172; Arn. 3, p. 108: Atticus, Quint. 12, 10, 75; cf. id. 6, 4, 107: sermo non publici saporis, of uncommon elegance, Petr. 3, 1.
      2. 2. Of conduct: homo sine sapore, without refinement, Cic. post Red. in Sen. 6, 14.