anise

American  

[an-is] / ˈæn ɪs /

noun

1. a Mediterranean plant, Pimpinella anisum, of the parsley family, having loose umbrels of small yellowish-white flowers that yield aniseed.

2. aniseed.

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anise British  

/ ˈænɪs /

noun

1. a Mediterranean umbelliferous plant, Pimpinella anisum, having clusters of small yellowish-white flowers and liquorice-flavoured seeds See aniseed

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Other Word Forms

• anisic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of anise

1350–1400; Middle English anis < Old French < Latin anīsum < Greek ánīson

Explanation

Anise is a plant that produces seeds that smell and taste like black licorice. Cookies, vegetables, and liqueurs can all be flavored with anise. The anise plant produces white flowers and small fruits or seeds. It's the seeds that are used, whole or ground, to flavor various foods — in fact, anise is often referred to as aniseed. Anise itself is an Old English word, from the 13th century Old French anis and ultimately the Greek root anison, which confusingly means both anise and "dill."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

anise

That time has largely passed, but he still recommends bulking up flavors with celery seed, anise and cumin, all of which naturally contain sodium.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

Announced last week in a post on Instagram, the drink was described as a “clarified tonic” with coconut water, jasmine tea, raw honey, holy basil, anise hyssop, green cardamom, white grape juice and coconut milk.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

This one plays in high notes: the citrus lifts, the fennel gives a soft anise hum, and the sugar teases out the squash’s own mellow sweetness.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2025

Timothy Sharp, manager of Sparrow Coffee House in Cardiff, makes his own homemade syrup, adding spices like cloves, cardamom and star anise to the core PSL ingredients of ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2024

As the spicy flavor of anise spread over his taste buds, his mind floated back to his conversation with his father earlier in the week.

From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai