spice
any of a class of pungent or aromatic substances of vegetable origin, as pepper, cinnamon, or cloves, used as seasoning, preservatives, etc.
such substances collectively or as material: Cookies without spice can be tasteless.
a spicy or aromatic odor or fragrance.
something that gives zest: a spice of humor in his solemnity.
a piquant, interesting element or quality; zest; piquancy: The anecdotes lent spice to her talk.
Archaic. a small quantity of something; trace; bit.
to prepare or season with a spice or spices.
to give zest, piquancy, or interest to by something added.
Spice. a brand name for a synthetic cannabis compound.
Origin of spice
1Other words for spice
Other words from spice
- spice·a·ble, adjective
- spiceless, adjective
- spicelike, adjective
- o·ver·spice, verb, o·ver·spiced, o·ver·spic·ing.
- re·spice, verb (used with object), re·spiced, re·spic·ing.
- un·spiced, adjective
- well-spiced, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use spice in a sentence
Within days, grilled lamb skewers spiced with cumin and chili were back on the street.
It is a good-sized quarter pounder of pearly meat spiced and rolled in Japanese breadcrumbs, then pan-fried to a crisp.
Become a Fried Seafood Believer at South Beach Market | Jane & Michael Stern | April 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe two alleged ambassadors spiced their jokes with foul language.
Just Joking? Bugged Russian Ambassadors Want to Annex Alaska and Miami | Anna Nemtsova | April 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn End of Watch, their dialog is spiced with a seemingly endless stream of “bros” and “dudes.”
Jake Gyllenhaal & Michael Peña on Their ‘End of Watch’ Bromance | Chris Lee | September 19, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTToday there exists a range of rum variations, including light, gold, spiced, dark, and premium.
The phrase "bride-cup" was also sometimes used of the bowl of spiced wine prepared at night for the bridal couple.
The warm wind bore to them the sniff of the sand-dunes, spiced groves, and genii's islands far to southward.
God Wills It! | William Stearns DavisAll ‘Kynes’ of ale, some highly spiced And divers meats, roast, boiled and sliced.
A Humorous History of England | C. HarrisonMadeira and bitters were first offered, together with a well-spiced vegetable soup.
The Argus Pheasant | John Charles BeechamMr. Gorcas never in his life tasted ardent spirits, ate spiced meats, or sat up later than nine o'clock in the evening.
The Fiend's Delight | Dod Grile
British Dictionary definitions for spice
/ (spaɪs) /
any of a variety of aromatic vegetable substances, such as ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, used as flavourings
these substances collectively
something that represents or introduces zest, charm, or gusto
rare a small amount
Yorkshire dialect confectionery
to prepare or flavour (food) with spices
to introduce charm or zest into
Origin of spice
1Derived forms of spice
- spicer, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with spice
see variety is the spice of life.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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