spice
English edit
Pronunciation edit
Etymology 1 edit
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 edit
spice (countable and uncountable, plural spices)
- (countable, uncountable) Aromatic or pungent plant matter (usually dried) used to season or flavour food.
- (uncountable) The quality of being spicy.
- Synonym: spiciness
- What spice level do you want for your pad thai? I recommend mild.
- (figurative, uncountable) Appeal, interest; an attribute that makes something appealing, interesting, or engaging.
- 1979 April 28, Allen Young, “The Joy of Gay Lit”, in Gay Community News: The Gay Weekly, volume 6, number 39, Boston, Mass., →ISSN, page 13, column 3:
- Honor, a[sic] 18-year-old high school student who thinks she has it more together than her fellow students and who looks to both Leslie and Bernie to provide friendship and spice in her life.
- (uncountable) A synthetic cannabinoid drug.
- (uncountable, Yorkshire) Sweets, candy.
- (obsolete) Species; kind.
- A characteristic touch or taste; smack; flavour.
- An aromatic odour.
- (uncountable, Internet slang) Erotic or pornographic material, usually written; smut.
Hypernyms edit
Hyponyms edit
- See also Thesaurus:seasoning
Coordinate terms edit
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Translations edit
plant matter used to season or flavour food
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any variety of spice
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Verb edit
spice (third-person singular simple present spices, present participle spicing, simple past and past participle spiced)
- (transitive) To add spice or spices to; season.
- (transitive) To spice up.
Related terms edit
Translations edit
to add spice or spices to
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Further reading edit
Etymology 2 edit
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 edit
spice
- (nonce word, usually humorous) plural of spouse
References edit
- ^ Christopher Morley. (n.d.). AZQuotes.com. Retrieved February 01, 2019, from AZQuotes.com Web site: https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1325627
- Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “spice”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Anagrams edit
Latin edit
Verb edit
spice
Lower Sorbian edit
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
spice
- inflection of spicy:
Participle edit
spice
- inflection of spicy:
Middle English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Old French espice, (modern épice), an old borrowing from Late Latin speciēs.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
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.
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
References edit
- “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.