spice en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /spaɪs/
- spīs
Etymology
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.
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) Aromatic or pungent plant matter (usually dried) used to season or flavor food.
Vanilla itself was transplanted from Madagascar, the main source of the spice, to Polynesia a century ago.
1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 242:
-
(uncountable) The quality of being spicy.
What spice level do you want for your pad thai? I recommend mild.
-
(figuratively, uncountable) Appeal, interest; an attribute that makes something appealing, interesting, or engaging.
variety is the spice of life
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.
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:
- (uncountable) A psychoactive neocannabinoid.
-
(Yorkshire, uncountable) Sweets, candy.
Let's go daan to t'spice shop an see what they've i stock
- (countable, obsolete, uncountable) Species; kind.
-
(countable, uncountable) A characteristic touch or taste; smack; flavour.
"I'm not going to promise anything after the perfectly fetid way you're running off," she retorted. "Still, it's pretty obvious that I shall stay here and do what I can for poor Geoffrey in the circumstances." It occurred to the hearer […] that there was a spice of "It is my duty and I will" in this praiseworthy resolve which fell short of the ecstatic resolution of the Saturday Nora.
1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:
- (countable, uncountable) An aromatic odor.
- (Internet, uncountable) Erotic or pornographic material, usually in written form; smut.
- (countable, uncountable) An additional input parameter used as a secondary, non-secret key in the Hasty Pudding cipher.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| spices | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Deriveds
spice drop · allspice · spicehouse · hunger is the best spice · table spice · Montreal steak spice · spice brown · spicewise · spiceless · king of spices · spice finch · spicelike · mixed spice · bespice · pumpkin spice latte · spicebox · pudding spice · spice bag · spicewood · queen of spices · spice rack · spicebush · spiceful · pumpkin pie spice · spiciness · pondspice · spice fiend · golden spice · pumpkin-spice latte · sugar and spice · pumpkin-pie spice · spicy · sugar and spice and everything nice · spiceland · spiceberry · spicenut · pumpkin spice · spicehead · spicery
Hypernyms
Relateds
herbs and spices · spicy tooth · variety is the spice of life · five-spice powder
Synonyms
Translations (153)
de Würze (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · io spico (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · syl ꠝꠡꠟꠣ (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · gd spìosradh (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · sl začimba (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · arz توابل (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · he תַּבְלִין (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ang wyrtġemang (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ko 향신료 (any variety of spice) · cmn 香料 (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · sl začimba (any variety of spice) · ru спе́ция (any variety of spice) · tr baharat (any variety of spice) · fo kryddarí (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · vi hương liệu (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · acw بَهَار (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ar بَهَار (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · nl specerij (any variety of spice) · grc ἄρωμα (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · no krydder (any variety of spice) · kw spis (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · jv bumbon crakèn (any variety of spice) · la arōma (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · vi gia vị (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · mn халуун ногоо (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · es aderezo (any variety of spice) · rsk присмачка (any variety of spice) · uk пря́нощі (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · mk зачин (any variety of spice) · pt tempero (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · fr épices (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · be спе́цыя (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · cmn 香料 (any variety of spice) · fa-ira اَدْوِیِه (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · uz dorivor (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · bn মসলা (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · da krydderi (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ro condiment (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · uk припра́ва (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · rcf zépis (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · gd spìosradh (any variety of spice) · sh зачин (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · lo ຜັກຫອມ (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · pt tempero (any variety of spice) · ru пря́ность (any variety of spice) · ja 香辛料 (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · pt especiaria (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · az ədviyyat (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · fi mausteet (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · mi amiami (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · id bumbu (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · et maitseaine (any variety of spice) · mk зачин (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · nb krydder (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · fo krydd (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ko 향신료 (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · fr épice (any variety of spice) · ca espècia (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · el καρύκευμα (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · el μπαχαρικό (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ajp بَهَار (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · it spezie (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · is krydd (any variety of spice) · es especia (any variety of spice) · ang wyrt (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ur مَصالْحَہ (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · el μπαχάρι (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ja スパイス (any variety of spice) · tg дорувор (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · hi मसाला (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · de Gewürz (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · kdr baharat (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · lb Gewierz (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · jv ꦧꦸꦩ꧀ꦧꦸ (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ceb panakot (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · el μπαχάρι (any variety of spice) · sw kiungo (any variety of spice) · be прыпра́ва (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · uk спе́ція (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ru припра́ва (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ky даамдагыч (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · fi mauste (any variety of spice) · ka სანელებელი (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · mfe zepis (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · kk дәмдеуіш (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · es condimento (any variety of spice) · mt ħwawar (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · arz بهار (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · cs koření (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ru спе́ция (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ajp توابل (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · km គ្រឿង (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · hy համեմունք (any variety of spice) · sw kiungo (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · rsk присмак (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · tr baharat (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · sq erëz (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · lt prieskonis (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · crh baharat (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · gl especia (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · es especia (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · my အမွှေးအကြိုင် (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ga spíosra (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · liv virts (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · nl specerij (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · eu espezia (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · de Gewürz (any variety of spice) · hu fűszer (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · acw توابل (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · pl przyprawa (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · uz ziravor (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · tl espesya (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · el καρύκευμα (any variety of spice) · es aliño (any variety of spice) · eo spico (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · fa-ira اَبْزار (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · sh začin (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · la condīmentum (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · oc espècia (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ur مَصالِحَہ (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · sv krydda (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · it spezia (any variety of spice) · bg подпра́вка (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · qu haya (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · as মচলা (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · km ទេស (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · da krydderi (any variety of spice) · ru пря́ность (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · el μπαχαρικό (any variety of spice) · ja 香辛料 (any variety of spice) · ky курчутма (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ms rempah (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · tl rekado (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · gag baharat (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · is krydd (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · xqa اُتيَم (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · rsk присмак (any variety of spice) · mi raukikini (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · tl pampalasa (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ary عطرية (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · sk korenie (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · lv garšviela (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · et maitsed (any variety of spice) · tg адвиё (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ar تَوَابِل (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · th เครื่องเทศ (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · cs koření (any variety of spice) · bo སྨན་སྣ (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · rsk присмачка (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · hy համեմունք (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · et vürts (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · ja スパイス (plant matter used to season or flavour food) · nl kruid (plant matter used to season or flavour food)