licorice

American  

[lik-er-ish, lik-rish, lik-uh-ris] / ˈlɪk ər ɪʃ, ˈlɪk rɪʃ, ˈlɪk ə rɪs /

especially British, liquorice

noun

• licorices
  plural

1. a Eurasian plant, Glycyrrhiza glabra, of the legume family.

2. the sweet-tasting, dried root of this plant or an extract made from it, used in medicine, confectionery, etc.

3. a candy flavored with licorice root.

4. any of various related or similar plants.

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licorice British  

/ ˈlɪkərɪs /

noun

1. the usual US and Canadian spelling of liquorice

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• licorices
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of licorice

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English lycorys, from Anglo-French, from unattested Vulgar Latin liquiritia for Latin glycyrrhiza, from Greek glykýrrhiza “sweetroot (plant),” equivalent to glyký(s) “sweet” + rhíza “root”; see root ¹, -ia

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Explanation

If you've ever had a long, sweet, chewy, black candy, you've probably had licorice. This is a common type of candy made from the dried roots of the licorice plant. Licorice is a blue-flowered plant from the Mediterranean region. Its long roots are used to make candy also known as licorice. People have been eating licorice for so long that you can find people comparing sweet things to licorice as far back as the 1300's. The licorice plant is known for its blue flowers and compound leaves, though it's the long roots beneath the surface that are so delicious.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

licorice licorices

Their findings, published in Stem Cell Reports, point to glycyrrhizin, a natural compound found in black licorice, as a promising candidate for reducing intestinal inflammation and preventing cell death.

From Science Daily ● May 9, 2026

Among the strongest performers was glycyrrhizin, a naturally occurring ingredient in black licorice.

From Science Daily ● May 9, 2026

The young dancers are dressed as various types of English licorice and they make their entrance from a giant box of licorice allsorts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2025

She started London Borough of Jam in her home; raspberry jam with licorice was the first offering.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 10, 2025

“He just so happened to spit out a piece of licorice last night in the same place he found that marble. But when he looked for it later, it was gone.”

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

“She gave us the licorices when we visited her, remember?”

From "The Unfinished Angel" by Sharon Creech

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