zester
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Meaning
A kitchen utensil with a row of small sharp-edged holes, used for removing the outer, colored part of the peel from citrus fruit.
Structure
Usage
The recipe calls for lemon zest, so I'll need to use a zester.
A good microplane zester is an essential tool for any baker.
She carefully grated the orange peel with a zester to avoid the bitter white pith.
Etymology
The word 'zester' is a modern English formation, combining the noun 'zest' with the instrumental suffix '-er'. 'Zest' entered English in the 17th century from the French 'zeste', specifically referring to the peel of citrus fruit used for flavoring. While the ultimate origin of 'zeste' is obscure, it became the established term for the fragrant, colored part of the rind. By adding the productive agent suffix '-er', which denotes a tool or device, English created 'zester' in the 20th century to logically name the specialized kitchen implement designed for the singular purpose of removing zest.
Analysis
zest: From French 'zeste' (orange or lemon peel), of unknown origin. It functions as the core semantic root, referring to the aromatic outer skin of citrus fruit. er: From Old English '-ere', a Germanic agent suffix. It functions as a derivational suffix indicating an instrument or tool that performs the action related to the root.