Wiktionary

spice

See also: Spice, SPICE, spíce, špice, and spicë

English

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Pronunciation

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  • enPR: spīs, IPA(key): /spaɪs/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪs

Etymology 1

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    Etymology tree
    Proto-Indo-European *speḱ-
    Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
    Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti
    Proto-Italic *spekjō
    Latin speciō
    Proto-Italic *-jēs
    Latin -iēs
    Late Latin speciēs
    Old French espicebor.
    Anglo-Norman specebor.
    Middle English spice
    English spice

    Inherited from Middle English spice, from Old French espice (modern épice), from Late Latin speciēs (“spice, good, ware”), from Latin speciēs (“kind, sort”). Doublet of species.

    Noun

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    spice (countable and uncountable, plural spices)

    2. (countable, uncountable) Aromatic or pungent plant matter (usually dried) used to season or flavor food.
    3. (uncountable) The quality of being spicy.
      Synonym: spiciness
      What spice level do you want for your pad thai? I recommend mild.
    4. (figurative, uncountable) Appeal, interest; an attribute that makes something appealing, interesting, or engaging.
      variety is the spice of life
      • 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.
    5. (uncountable) A psychoactive neocannabinoid.
    6. (uncountable, Yorkshire) Sweets, candy.
      Let's go daan to t'spice shop an see what they've i stock
    7. (obsolete) Species; kind.
    8. A characteristic touch or taste; smack; flavour.
    9. An aromatic odor.
    10. (uncountable, Internet slang) Erotic or pornographic material, usually written; smut.
    Hypernyms
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    Hyponyms
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    Coordinate terms
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    Derived terms
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    Translations
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    Verb

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    spice (third-person singular simple present spices, present participle spicing, simple past and past participle spiced)

    1. (transitive) To add spice or spices to; season.
    2. (transitive) To spice up.
      • 1985 February 2, Nicholas Deutsch, “City Men (review)”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 28, page 19:
        City Men is pretty much the same kind of sentimental comedy spiced with wisecracks as The Women, a disappointingly familiar genre.
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    Translations
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    Further reading

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    Etymology 2

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    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

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    spice

    2. (nonce word, usually humorous) plural of spouse

    References

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    1. ^ Christopher Morley. (n.d.). AZQuotes.com. Retrieved February 01, 2019, from AZQuotes.com Web site: https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1325627

    Anagrams

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    Latin

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    Verb

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    spice

    1. second-person singular present active imperative of spiciō

    Lower Sorbian

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    Pronunciation

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    • IPA(key): /ˈspʲit͡sɛ/, [ˈspʲit͡sə]

    Adjective

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    spice

    1. inflection of spicy:
      1. neuter nominative/accusative singular
      2. nominative/accusative plural

    Participle

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    spice

    1. inflection of spicy:
      1. neuter nominative/accusative singular
      2. nominative/accusative plural

    Middle English

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    Alternative forms

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    Etymology

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      Borrowed from Old French espice, espece and Anglo-Norman spece, from Late Latin speciēs.

      Pronunciation

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      Noun

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      spice (plural spices)

      1. spices (powders used to flavour meals or dishes):
        1. Spices as used as scents or to enhance the smell of something.
        2. Spices as used in medicinal preparations; by extension, medicine in general.
        3. Spices as used in alchemical preparations.
      2. A variety, sort, or kind of something:
        1. A distinct kind of creature; a species.
        2. A type of disease or affliction.
        3. A type of sinful behaviour or action; an action or behaviour in general.
        4. A part, especially of a discipline or line of study.
      3. A seeming or presence; the way something looks from the outside:
        1. (philosophy) The perception of something using any sense or innate ability.
        2. (Christianity) The communion wafer when transubstantiated.
        3. (rare) An appearance or image (either mental or real)
      4. A meal (usually sweet) incorporating spices.
      5. A plant which spices are made from.
      6. (rare) A complimentary appellation.

      Derived terms

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      Descendants

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      • English: spice
      • Scots: spice

      References

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      Old English

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      Pronunciation

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      Noun

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      spiċe

      1. dative singular of spiċ
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