spice

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See also: Spice, SPICE, spíce, and špice

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)

  1. (countable, uncountable) Aromatic or pungent plant matter (usually dried) used to season or flavour food.
  2. (uncountable) The quality of being spicy.
    Synonym: spiciness
    What spice level do you want for your pad thai? I recommend mild.
  3. (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 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.
  4. (uncountable) A synthetic cannabinoid drug.
  5. (uncountable, Yorkshire) Sweets, candy.
  6. (obsolete) Species; kind.
  7. A characteristic touch or taste; smack; flavour.
  8. An aromatic odour.
  9. (uncountable, Internet slang) Erotic or pornographic material, usually written; smut.
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Coordinate terms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
Yorkshire dialect: sweets, candy — see sweet,‎ candy

Verb

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.
Related terms
Translations

Further reading

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). Made popular by Robert A. Heinlein in Time Enough for Love (1973).

Noun

spice

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

References

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

Anagrams

Latin

Verb

spice

  1. second-person singular present active imperative of spiciō

Lower Sorbian

Pronunciation

Adjective

spice

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

Participle

spice

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

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old French espice, (modern épice), an old borrowing from Late Latin speciēs.

Pronunciation

Noun

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

Descendants

  • English: spice
  • Scots: spice

References

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia