star anise

American  

noun

1. Also called Chinese anise.  a shrub or small tree, Illicium verum, of China, having white flowers that turn purple and bearing anise-scented, star-shaped clusters of carminative fruit.

2. the fruit of this tree or shrub, used as a spice.

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star anise British  

noun

1. a small Chinese evergreen tree ( Illicium verum ) yielding an aromatic oil

2. a spice produced from the star-shaped dried seed pods of this tree

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Etymology

Origin of star anise

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

You can also infuse your espresso with star anise to make a non-alcoholic Sambuca or amp up the sweetness by scraping in a whole vanilla bean.

From Salon

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

While each jar contains a spicy crimson sediment under oil, some have the sweetness of star anise, while others are deepened with tiny dried shrimp or fried shallots.

From New York Times

Take for example Thai tea, which is made from strongly-brewed black tea and spiced with star anise, crushed tamarind and cardamom.

From Salon

When he let go, a tiny star anise danced in her palm.

From Literature