spice

American  

[spahys] / spaɪs /

noun

1. any of a class of pungent or aromatic substances of vegetable origin, as pepper, cinnamon, or cloves, used as seasoning, preservatives, etc.

2. such substances collectively or as material.

   Cookies without spice can be tasteless.

3. a spicy or aromatic odor or fragrance.

4. something that gives zest.

   a spice of humor in his solemnity.

5. a piquant, interesting element or quality; zest; piquancy.

   The anecdotes lent spice to her talk.

   Synonyms:

   charm, interest, zing

6. Archaic. a small quantity of something; trace; bit.

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verb (used with object)

spiced, spicing

1. to prepare or season with a spice or spices.

2. to give zest, piquancy, or interest to by something added.

Trademark.

1. Spice. a brand name for a synthetic cannabis compound.

spice British  

/ spaɪs /

noun

1. 1. any of a variety of aromatic vegetable substances, such as ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, used as flavourings

   2. these substances collectively

2. something that represents or introduces zest, charm, or gusto

3. rare a small amount

4. dialect confectionery

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verb

1. to prepare or flavour (food) with spices

2. to introduce charm or zest into

spice Idioms  

1. see variety is the spice of life.

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Other Word Forms

• overspice verb
• respice verb (used with object)
• spiceable adjective
• spiceless adjective
• spicelike adjective
• spicer noun
• unspiced adjective
• well-spiced adjective

Etymology

Origin of spice

1175–1225; (noun) Middle English, aphetic form of Old French espice ( French épice ) from Latin speciēs “appearance, sort, kind” ( see species), in Late Latin (plural): “goods, wares, spices, drugs”; (verb) Middle English spicen, in part derivative of the noun, in part from Old French espicer, derivative of espice

Explanation

You can spice up your meal with chili powder — or you can spice up your room with a disco ball! Spice is usually a flavoring for food, but you can add spice to other things by jazzing them up. Spices make your food more interesting and flavorful. Something that increases the excitement in other parts of life can also be called spice, like when the rivalry between two basketball players adds spice to the game. You can spice things up when you're telling a story by adding colorful details.

Example Sentences

And she is adding designs inspired by seasons and festive occasions, including a pumpkin spice latte hair clip that debuted this past autumn.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

More than 130 years since its birth in a Baltimore cellar, McCormick owns the spice aisle and sells core condiments such as hot sauce and mustard.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The original appeal of Cajun chicken pasta is abundance — meat, cream, spice, all competing for dominance.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

To support its latest product, Spice Kitchen is building a content cluster about the history of the spice trade.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

He broke "hypothesis" down into four fragmented words to put some spice on it.

From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds

Related Words

• salt
• seasoning