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Spice

//spaɪs// name, noun, verb

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    Acronym of Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis, a general-purpose, open-source analog electronic circuit simulator. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
  2. 2
    A surname.
Noun
  1. 1
    Aromatic or pungent plant matter (usually dried) used to season or flavor food. countable, uncountable

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

  2. 2
    plural of spouse form-of, humorous, nonce-word, plural, usually
  3. 3
    the property of being seasoned with spice and so highly flavored wordnet
  4. 4
    The quality of being spicy. uncountable

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

  5. 5
    any of a variety of pungent aromatic vegetable substances used for flavoring food wordnet
Show 9 more definitions
  1. 6
    Appeal, interest; an attribute that makes something appealing, interesting, or engaging. figuratively, uncountable

    "variety is the spice of life"

  2. 7
    aromatic substances of vegetable origin used as a preservative wordnet
  3. 8
    A psychoactive neocannabinoid. uncountable
  4. 9
    Sweets, candy. Yorkshire, uncountable

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

  5. 10
    Species; kind. countable, obsolete, uncountable
  6. 11
    A characteristic touch or taste; smack; flavour. countable, uncountable
  7. 12
    An aromatic odor. countable, uncountable
  8. 13
    Erotic or pornographic material, usually written; smut. Internet, uncountable
  9. 14
    An additional input parameter used as a secondary, non-secret key in the Hasty Pudding cipher. countable, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    To add spice or spices to; season. transitive

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

  2. 2
    make more interesting or flavorful wordnet
  3. 3
    To spice up. transitive

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

  4. 4
    add herbs or spices to wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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.

Etymology 3

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).

See also for "spice"

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