spice

Meanings

Noun

• Aromatic or pungent plant matter (usually dried) used to season or flavour food.
• The quality of being spicy.
• Appeal, interest; an attribute that makes something appealing, interesting, or engaging.
• A synthetic cannabinoid drug.
• Sweets, candy.
• Species; kind.
• A characteristic touch or taste; smack; flavour.
• An aromatic odour.

Verb

• To add spice or spices to; season.
• To spice up.

Related

Broader meaning words

• seasoning

Origin

• From Middle English spice, from Old French espice (modern épice), an old borrowing from Late Latin speciēs ("spice(s), good(s), ware(s)"), from Latin speciēs ("kind, sort"). species.
• Formed by analogy with lice and mice as the plurals of louse and mouse.
• First attested use Christopher Morley in “Morley's Magnum” (1935).
• Made popular by Robert A. Heinlein in Time Enough for Love (1973).