# spice

Pronunciation: say "SPYS" /spaɪs/

## Noun

1. A seasoning made from part of a plant, usually dried, that gives food a strong aroma or a pungent taste.
   - Simple: Dried plant parts like pepper or cinnamon, used to add flavor to food.
   - _Each region of India favors a different spice in its cooking._
   - _The market stalls overflowed with colorful spices from across Asia._
3. An appealing or interesting quality that makes something engaging or exciting.
   - Simple: Something exciting or interesting that makes a thing more fun.
   - _A bit of mystery gives the novel its spice._
   - _Friendly rivalry adds spice to the weekly chess matches._
5. The quality or degree of being spicy; pungent heat in food.
   - Simple: The hot, strong taste that some foods have.
   - _The chili sauce adds intense spice to every bite._
   - _Diners can choose how much spice they want in the noodles._
6. A characteristic touch or trace of flavor; a distinctive smack that marks something.
   - Simple: A slight trace of a quality that gives something its character.
   - _His letters always carried a spice of mischief._
   - _The wine left a faint spice of oak on the palate._
7. A warm, aromatic odor, like that of fragrant herbs or seasonings.
   - Simple: A pleasant smell like that of herbs or sweet plants.
   - _A rich spice of cloves and orange drifted from the mulled wine._
   - _The garden released a sweet spice after the evening rain._
8. A psychoactive synthetic cannabinoid, typically sprayed onto dried plant matter and smoked.
   - Simple: A man-made drug sprayed on plant leaves and smoked to feel high.
   - _Emergency rooms reported a spike in patients who had taken spice._
   - _Authorities struggle to regulate spice because its chemical makeup keeps changing._
9. Erotic or sexually explicit material, usually written; smut.
   - Simple: Sexual stories or pictures meant to excite the reader.
   - _Fans of the series come for the romance and stay for the spice._
   - _Her latest book leans heavily into spice rather than slow-burn tension._
10. Confectionery; sweets or candy of the kind eaten as a treat. *(dialectal, Yorkshire)*
   - Simple: Sweets and candy, the kind children enjoy as treats.
   - _The market stall sold homemade spice in paper bags._
   - _After dinner the kids begged for a little spice._

## Verb

2. To add one or more spices to food; to season.
   - Simple: To add flavoring like pepper or herbs to food.
   - _The chef spiced the broth with cardamom and clove._
   - _Traditional cooks spice their stews generously with cumin._
4. To make something more exciting, lively, or interesting.
   - Simple: To make something more exciting or interesting.
   - _The director spiced the script with sharp, witty dialogue._
   - _A surprise guest can really spice an otherwise routine meeting._

## Noun

11. Plural of spouse. Humorous, formed by analogy with mouse and mice. *(rare)* — plural of spouse
   - Simple: Plural of spouse. A playful way to talk about more than one husband or wife.
   - _The invitation extended to faculty and their spice._
   - _All the spice waited in the lobby while the ceremony was rehearsed._
12. A species or kind; a particular sort or type of thing. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A type, sort, or kind of thing.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–10, 12** — English inherited "spice" from Middle English spice, which came from Old French espice (modern French épice), from Late Latin speciēs ("spice, goods, ware"), itself from Latin speciēs ("kind, sort"). It is a doublet of "species."
**Meaning 11** — It was formed by analogy with "lice" and "mice," the plurals of "louse" and "mouse." It was first used by Christopher Morley in "Morley's Magnum" (1935) and made popular by Robert A. Heinlein in Time Enough for Love (1973).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/spice (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).