Word Study
spice
CIDE DICTIONARY
spice, n. [OE. spice, spece, spice, species, OF. espice, espece, F. épice spice, espèce species, fr. L. species particular sort or kind, a species, a sight, appearance, show, LL., spices, drugs, etc., of the same sort, fr. L. specere to look. See Spy, and cf. Species.].
- Species; kind. [1913 Webster]"The spices of penance ben three." [1913 Webster]"Abstain you from all evil spice." [1913 Webster]"Justice, although it be but one entire virtue, yet is described in two kinds of spices. The one is named justice distributive, the other is called commutative." [1913 Webster]
- A vegetable production of many kinds, fragrant or aromatic and pungent to the taste, as pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, allspice, ginger, cloves, etc., which are used in cookery and to flavor sauces, pickles, etc. [1913 Webster]"Hast thou aught in thy purse [bag] any hot spices?" [1913 Webster]
- Figuratively, that which enriches or alters the quality of a thing in a small degree, as spice alters the taste of food; that which gives zest or pungency; a slight flavoring; a relish; hence, a small quantity or admixture; a sprinkling; as, a spice of mischief. [1913 Webster]"So much of the will, with a spice of the willful." [1913 Webster]
spice, v. t.
- To season with spice, or as with spice; to mix aromatic or pungent substances with; to flavor; to season; as, to spice wine; to spice one's words with wit. [1913 Webster]"She 'll receive thee, but will spice thy bread
With flowery poisons." [1913 Webster] - To fill or impregnate with the odor of spices. [1913 Webster]"In the spiced Indian air, by night." [1913 Webster]
- To render nice or dainty; hence, to render scrupulous. Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
spice, n. & v.
--n.
1 an aromatic or pungent vegetable substance used to flavour food, e.g. cloves, pepper, or mace.
2 spices collectively (a dealer in spice).
3 a an interesting or piquant quality. b (foll. by of) a slight flavour or suggestion (a spice of malice).
--v.tr.
1 flavour with spice.
2 add an interesting or piquant quality to (a book spiced with humour).
--n.
1 an aromatic or pungent vegetable substance used to flavour food, e.g. cloves, pepper, or mace.
2 spices collectively (a dealer in spice).
3 a an interesting or piquant quality. b (foll. by of) a slight flavour or suggestion (a spice of malice).
--v.tr.
1 flavour with spice.
2 add an interesting or piquant quality to (a book spiced with humour).
Etymology
ME f. OF espice(r) f. L species specific kind: in LL pl. = merchandise
THESAURUS
spice
Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, allspice, anchovies, angelica, applesauce, aroma, balm, balminess, basil, bell pepper, bite, black pepper, borage, bouquet, briskness, burnet, caper, capsicum, caraway seeds, cardamom, cast, catsup, celery salt, chervil, chili, chili sauce, chili vinegar, chives, chutney, cinnamon, cloves, color, condiment, condiments, coriander, cranberry sauce, cubeb, cumin, curry, dahl sauce, dash, dill, dillseed, duck sauce, elan, enliven, excitement, fagara, fennel, file, five spice powder, flavor, flavorer, flavoring, fragrance, fragrancy, fruitiness, garlic, garlic butter, garlic powder, garlic salt, ginger, green pepper, gusto, guts, hedge garlic, herb, hint, horseradish, hotness, hyssop, incense, infusion, inkling, inspirit, interest, intimation, invigorate, kick, leek, lick, life, liveliness, mace, marinade, marjoram, mayonnaise, mint, muskiness, mustard, nip, nippiness, nosegay, nutmeg, odor, onion, onion salt, oregano, paprika, parsley, pep, pepper, peppercorn, pepperiness, peppermint, perfume, piccalilli, pickle, pimento, pimpernel, piquancy, poignancy, potherb, punch, pungency, raciness, radish, red pepper, redolence, relish, saffron, sage, salad dressing, salt, sauce, sauce-alone, savor, savory, scent, season, seasoned salt, seasoner, seasoning, sesame oil, sesame seeds, shade, shallot, sharpness, smack, smell, snap, snappiness, soupcon, soy, soy sauce, spiciness, spirit, sprinkling, star anise, stimulant, stimulate, stimulation, suggestion, suspicion, sweet savor, sweet smell, taint, tang, tanginess, tarragon, tartar sauce, taste, tempering, thought, thyme, tinct, tincture, tinge, tint, tomato paste, touch, trace, turmeric, vanilla, vestige, vigor, vim, vinegar, white pepper, zest, zestfulness, zipROGET THESAURUS
spice
Smallness
N smallness, littleness, tenuity, paucity, fewness, meanness, insignificance (unimportance), mediocrity, moderation, small quantity, modicum, trace, hint, minimum, vanishing point, material point, atom, particle, molecule, corpuscle, point, speck, dot, mote, jot, iota, ace, minutiae, details, look, thought, idea, soupcon, dab, dight, whit, tittle, shade, shadow, spark, scintilla, gleam, touch, cast, grain, scruple, granule, globule, minim, sup, sip, sop, spice, drop, droplet, sprinkling, dash, morceau, screed, smack, tinge, tincture, inch, patch, scantling, tatter, cantlet, flitter, gobbet, mite, bit, morsel, crumb, seed, fritter, shive, snip, snippet, snick, snack, snatch, slip, scrag, chip, chipping, shiver, sliver, driblet, clipping, paring, shaving, hair, nutshell, thimbleful, spoonful, handful, capful, mouthful, fragment, fraction, drop in the ocean, animalcule, trifle, mere nothing, next to nothing, hardly anything, just enough to swear by, the shadow of a shade, finiteness, finite quantity, small, little, diminutive, minute, fine, inconsiderable, paltry, faint, slender, light, slight, scanty, scant, limited, meager, sparing, few, low, so-so, middling, tolerable, no great shakes, below par, under par, below the mark, at a low ebb, halfway, moderate, modest, tender, subtle, inappreciable, evanescent, infinitesimal, homeopathic, very small, atomic, corpuscular, microscopic, molecular, subatomic, mere, simple, sheer, stark, bare, near run, dull, petty, shallow, stolid, ungifted, unintelligent, to a small extent, on a small scale, a little bit, a wee bit, slightly, imperceptibly, miserably, wretchedly, insufficiently, imperfectly, faintly, passably, pretty well, well enough, partially, in part, in a certain degree, to a certain degree, to a certain extent, comparatively, some, rather in some degree, in some measure, something, somewhat, simply, only, purely, merely, at least, at the least, at most, at the most, ever so little, as little as may be, tant soit peu, in ever so small a degree, thus far, pro tanto, within bounds, in a manner, after a fashion, so to speak, almost, nearly, well-nigh, short of, not quite, all but, near upon, close upon, peu s'en faut, near the mark, within an ace of, within an inch of, on the brink of, scarcely, hardly, barely, only just, no more than, about, thereabouts, somewhere about, nearly, say, be the same, be little more or less, no ways, no way, no wise, not at all, not in the least, not a bit, not a bit of it, not a whit, not a jot, not a shadow, in no wise, in no respect, by no means, by no manner of means, on no account, at no hand, dare pondus idonea fumo, magno conatu magnas nugas, small sands the mountain, moments make the year.Mixture
N mixture, admixture, commixture, commixtion, commixion, intermixture, alloyage, matrimony, junction, combination, miscegenation, impregnation, infusion, diffusion suffusion, transfusion, infiltration, seasoning, sprinkling, interlarding, interpolation, adulteration, sophistication, tinge, tincture, touch, dash, smack, sprinkling, spice, seasoning, infusion, soupcon, alloy, amalgam, brass, chowchow, pewter, magma, half-and-half, melange, tertium quid, miscellany, ambigu, medley, mess, hotchpot, pasticcio, patchwork, odds and ends, all sorts, jumble, salad, sauce, mash, omnium gatherum, gallimaufry, olla-podrida, olio, salmagundi, potpourri, Noah's ark, caldron texture, mingled yarn, mosaic, half-blood, half-caste, mulatto, terceron, quarteron, quinteron, quadroon, octoroon, griffo, zambo, cafuzo, Eurasian, fustee, fustie, griffe, ladino, marabou, mestee, mestizo, quintroon, sacatra zebrule, catalo, cross, hybrid, mongrel, mixed, implex, composite, half-and-half, linsey-woolsey, chowchow, hybrid, mongrel, heterogeneous, motley, miscellaneous, promiscuous, indiscriminate, miscible, among, amongst, amid, amidst, with, in the midst of, in the crowd.Pungency
VB be pungent, bite the tongue, render pungent, season, spice, salt, pepper, pickle, brine, devil, smoke, chew, take snuff.Condiment
N condiment, seasoning, sauce, spice, relish, appetizer, salt, mustard, grey poupon mustard, pepper, black pepper, white pepper, peppercorn, curry, sauce piquante, caviare, onion, garlic, pickle, achar, allspice, bell pepper, Jamaica pepper, green pepper, chutney, cubeb, pimento, capsicum, red pepper, chili peppers, cayenne, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, oregano, cloves, fennel, pot herbs, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, marjoram, frankincense, balm, myrrh, paprika, saffron, ginger, turmeric.VB season, spice, flavor, spice up.
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