spice

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Aromatic or pungent plant matter (usually dried) used to season or flavor food.

   Vanilla itself was transplanted from Madagascar, the main source of the spice, to Polynesia a century ago.

2. 2
   noun

   The quality of being spicy.

   What spice level do you want for your pad thai? I recommend mild.

3. 3
   noun

   Appeal, interest; an attribute that makes something appealing, interesting, or engaging.

   variety is the spice of life

4. 4
   noun

   Sweets, candy.

   Let's go daan to t'spice shop an see what they've i stock

5. 5
   noun

   A characteristic touch or taste; smack; flavour.

   1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London "I'm not going to promise anything after the perfectly fetid way you're running off," she retorted. "Still, it's pretty obvious that I shall stay here and do what I can for poor Geoffrey in the circumstances." It occurred to the hearer […] that there was a spice of "It is my duty and I will" in this praiseworthy resolve which fell short of the ecstatic resolution of the Saturday Nora.

6. 6
   verb

   To add spice or spices to; season.

   Madame de Pompadour was fond of chocolates spiced with vanilla and amber.

7. 7
   verb

   To spice up.

   City Men is pretty much the same kind of sentimental comedy spiced with wisecracks as The Women, a disappointingly familiar genre.

8. 8
   noun

   the property of being seasoned with spice and so highly flavored

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti Proto-Italic *spekjō Late Latin speciō Proto-Italic *-jēs Late Latin -iēs Late Latin speciēs Old French espicebor. Anglo-Norman specebor. Middle English spice English spice Inherited from Middle English spice, from Old French espice (modern épice), from Late Latin speciēs (“spice, good, ware”), from Latin speciēs (“kind, sort”). Doublet of species.