spice
English
Pronunciation
- enPR: spīs, IPA(key): /spaɪs/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -aɪs
Etymology 1
From Middle English spice, from Old French espice (modern épice), an old borrowing from Late Latin speciēs (“spice(s), good(s), ware(s)”), from Latin speciēs (“kind, sort”). Doublet of species.
Noun
spice (countable and uncountable, plural spices)
- (countable, uncountable) Aromatic or pungent plant matter (usually dried) used to season or flavour food.
- (figuratively, uncountable) Appeal, interest; an attribute that makes something appealing, interesting, or engaging.
- (uncountable) A synthetic cannabinoid drug.
- (uncountable, Yorkshire) Sweets, candy.
- (obsolete) Species; kind.
- Wyclif Bible, 1 Thessalonians v. 22
- Abstain you from all evil spice.
- Sir T. Elyot
- Justice, although it be but one entire virtue, yet is described in two kinds of spices. The one is named justice distributive, the other is called commutative.
- Wyclif Bible, 1 Thessalonians v. 22
- A characteristic touch or taste; smack; flavour.
- An aromatic odour.
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
- See also Thesaurus:seasoning
Coordinate terms
Related terms
- five-spice powder
- herbs and spices
- spicy tooth
- variety is the spice of life
Translations
plant matter used to season or flavour food
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any variety of spice
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Verb
spice (third-person singular simple present spices, present participle spicing, simple past and past participle spiced)
Related terms
Translations
to add spice or spices to
Etymology 2
Formed by analogy with lice and mice as the plurals of louse and mouse. First attested use Christopher Morley in “Morley's Magnum” (1935).[1] Made popular by Robert A. Heinlein in Time Enough for Love (1973).
Noun
spice
- (nonce word) plural of spouse
- Christopher Morley. (n.d.). AZQuotes.com. Retrieved February 01, 2019, from AZQuotes.com Web site: https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1325627
References
- “spice” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2019.
Latin
Lower Sorbian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈspʲit͡sɛ/, [ˈspʲit͡sə]
Adjective
spice
- inflection of spicy:
- nominative and accusative singular neuter
- nominative and accusative plural
Participle
spice
- inflection of spicy:
- nominative and accusative singular neuter
- nominative and accusative plural
Middle English
Etymology
From Old French espice, (modern épice), an old borrowing from Late Latin speciēs.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈspiːs(ə)/
Noun
spice (plural spices)
- spices (powders used to flavour meals or dishes):
- Spices as used as scents or to enhance the smell of something.
- Spices as used in medicinal preparations; by extension, medicine in general.
- Spices as used in alchemical preparations.
- A variety, sort, or kind of something:
- A distinct kind of creature; a species.
- A type of disease or affliction.
- A type of sinful behaviour or action; an action or behaviour in general.
- A part, especially of a discipline or line of study.
- A seeming or presence; the way something looks from the outside:
- (philosophy) The perception of something using any sense or innate ability.
- (Christianity) The communion wafer when transubstantiated.
- (rare) An appearance or image (either mental or real)
- A meal (usually sweet) incorporating spices.
- A plant which spices are made from.
- (rare) A complimentary appellation.
References
- “spīce (n.(1))” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-24.
- “spīce (n.(2))” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-24.
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