Adjacent Words

Spice definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SPICE, n.
1. A vegetable production, fragrant or aromatic to the smell and pungent to the taste; used in sauces and in cookery.
2. A small quantity; something that enriches or alters the quality of a thing in a small degree, as spice alters the taste of a thing.
3. A sample.
SPICE, v.t.
1. To season with spice; to mix aromatic substances with; as, to spice wine.
2. To tincture; as the spiced Indian air.
3. To render nice; to season with scruples.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: aromatic substances of vegetable origin used as a preservative
2: any of a variety of pungent aromatic vegetable substances used for flavoring food
3: the property of being seasoned with spice and so highly flavored [syn: spiciness, spice, spicery] v
1: make more interesting or flavorful; "Spice up the evening by inviting a belly dancer" [syn: spice, spice up]
2: add herbs or spices to [syn: zest, spice, spice up]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French espece, espis, from Late Latin species product, wares, drugs, spices, from Latin, appearance, species — more at species Date: 13th century 1. any of various aromatic vegetable products (as pepper or nutmeg) used to season or flavor foods 2. a. archaic a small portion, quantity, or admixture ; dash b. something that gives zest or relish <variety's the very spice of life — William Cowper> 3. a pungent or fragrant odor ; perfume • spiceless adjective II. transitive verb (spiced; spicing) Date: 14th century 1. to season with spices 2. to add zest or relish to <cynicism spiced with humor — J. W. Dawson> — often used with up

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 an aromatic or pungent vegetable substance used to flavour food, e.g. cloves, pepper, or mace. 2 spices collectively (a dealer in spice). 3 a an interesting or piquant quality. b (foll. by of) a slight flavour or suggestion (a spice of malice). --v.tr. 1 flavour with spice. 2 add an interesting or piquant quality to (a book spiced with humour). Etymology: ME f. OF espice(r) f. L species specific kind: in LL pl. = merchandise

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Spice Spice, n. [OE. spice, spece, spice, species, OF. espice, espece, F. ['e]pice spice, esp[`e]ce species, fr. L. species particular sort or kind, a species, a sight, appearance, show, LL., spices, drugs, etc., of the same sort, fr. L. specere to look. See Spy, and cf. Species.] 1. Species; kind. [Obs.] The spices of penance ben three. --Chaucer. Abstain you from all evil spice. --Wyclif (1. Thess,v. 22). 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. --Sir T. Elyot. 2. A vegetable production of many kinds, fragrant or aromatic and pungent to the taste, as pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, allspice, ginger, cloves, etc., which are used in cookery and to flavor sauces, pickles, etc. Hast thou aught in thy purse [bag] any hot spices? --Piers Plowman. 3. Figuratively, that which enriches or alters the quality of a thing in a small degree, as spice alters the taste of food; that which gives zest or pungency; a slight flavoring; a relish; hence, a small quantity or admixture; a sprinkling; as, a spice of mischief. So much of the will, with a spice of the willful. --Coleridge.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Spice Spice, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spiced; p. p. & vb. n. Spicing.] 1. To season with spice, or as with spice; to mix aromatic or pungent substances with; to flavor; to season; as, to spice wine; to spice one's words with wit. She 'll receive thee, but will spice thy bread With flowery poisons. --Chapman. 2. To fill or impregnate with the odor of spices. In the spiced Indian air, by night. --Shak. 3. To render nice or dainty; hence, to render scrupulous. [Obs.] ``A spiced conscience.'' --Chaucer.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(spices, spicing, spiced) 1. A spice is a part of a plant, or a powder made from that part, which you put in food to give it flavour. Cinnamon, ginger, and paprika are spices. ...herbs and spices. ...a row of spice jars. N-MASS 2. If you spice something that you say or do, you add excitement or interest to it. They spiced their conversations and discussions with intrigue. VERB: V n with n • Spice up means the same as spice. Her publisher wants her to spice up her stories with sex. ...a discovery which spiced the conversation up quite a bit. PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), V n P 3. Spice is something which makes life more exciting. To add spice to the debate, they disagreed about method and ideology.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Flavoring, flavor, relish, taste, savor. 2. Admixture, sprinkling, tincture, dash, infusion, grain, particle, small quantity, smack, soupcon.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

To rob. Spice the swell; rob the gentleman.

Moby Thesaurus

Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, allspice, anchovies, angelica, applesauce, aroma, balm, balminess, basil, bell pepper, bite, black pepper, borage, bouquet, briskness, burnet, caper, capsicum, caraway seeds, cardamom, cast, catsup, celery salt, chervil, chili, chili sauce, chili vinegar, chives, chutney, cinnamon, cloves, color, condiment, condiments, coriander, cranberry sauce, cubeb, cumin, curry, dahl sauce, dash, dill, dillseed, duck sauce, elan, enliven, excitement, fagara, fennel, file, five spice powder, flavor, flavorer, flavoring, fragrance, fragrancy, fruitiness, garlic, garlic butter, garlic powder, garlic salt, ginger, green pepper, gusto, guts, hedge garlic, herb, hint, horseradish, hotness, hyssop, incense, infusion, inkling, inspirit, interest, intimation, invigorate, kick, leek, lick, life, liveliness, mace, marinade, marjoram, mayonnaise, mint, muskiness, mustard, nip, nippiness, nosegay, nutmeg, odor, onion, onion salt, oregano, paprika, parsley, pep, pepper, peppercorn, pepperiness, peppermint, perfume, piccalilli, pickle, pimento, pimpernel, piquancy, poignancy, potherb, punch, pungency, raciness, radish, red pepper, redolence, relish, saffron, sage, salad dressing, salt, sauce, sauce-alone, savor, savory, scent, season, seasoned salt, seasoner, seasoning, sesame oil, sesame seeds, shade, shallot, sharpness, smack, smell, snap, snappiness, soupcon, soy, soy sauce, spiciness, spirit, sprinkling, star anise, stimulant, stimulate, stimulation, suggestion, suspicion, sweet savor, sweet smell, taint, tang, tanginess, tarragon, tartar sauce, taste, tempering, thought, thyme, tinct, tincture, tinge, tint, tomato paste, touch, trace, turmeric, vanilla, vestige, vigor, vim, vinegar, white pepper, zest, zestfulness, zip