noun
food taster
Historical role of a person who tastes food to check for poison, often in a court or noble household.
毒見役は、殿様の食事に毒が入っていないか確かめる役目だった。
The food taster's duty was to check whether the lord's meal contained poison.
毒見 refers to the act of tasting for poison, while 毒見役 specifically denotes the person who performs that role.
Compound of 毒見 (food tasting for poison) and 役 (role, duty). The ateji spelling 毒味役 uses 味 phonetically for み.