n :  an end organ that mediates the sensation of taste, lies chiefly in the epithelium of the tongue and esp. in the walls of the circumvallate papillae, and consists of a conical or flask-shaped mass made up partly of supporting cells and partly of neuroepithelial sensory cells terminating peripherally in short hairlike processes which project into the pore in the overlying epithelium and by which communication with the mouth cavity is effected .
 
 
 
Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.  © 1997-2024.