spice

1 of 2

noun

1
: any of various aromatic vegetable products (such as pepper or nutmeg) used to season or flavor foods
2
a
archaic : a small portion, quantity, or admixture : dash
b
: something that gives zest or relish
variety's the very spice of lifeWilliam Cowper
3
: a pungent or fragrant odor : perfume
spiceless adjective

spice

2 of 2

verb

spiced; spicing

transitive verb

1
: to season with spices
2
: to add zest or relish to
cynicism spiced with humorJ. W. Dawson
often used with up

Examples of spice in a Sentence

Noun The soup needs a little more spice. a cologne for men that captures all of the spice of the sea Verb I spiced the chicken with ginger. spice the stew with more pepper
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Get ready to fry your Canadian bacon in some particularly fiery spice, as Entertainment Weekly's exclusive debut of the Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World season 2 trailer (and guest judges) is serving drama, mama. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 2 July 2024 Never underestimate the power of masking tape, a satisfyingly organized way to label all those sauces, spices, and miscellaneous quart containers in your kitchen. Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 28 June 2024
Verb
David and Victoria Beckham are spicing up the internet − and making fans swoon − with a new photo. Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 3 July 2024 Lupita Nyong'o spiced up the red carpet at Wednesday's New York City premiere of A Quiet Place: Day One. Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 27 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for spice 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spice.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French espece, espis, from Late Latin species product, wares, drugs, spices, from Latin, appearance, species — more at species

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spice was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near spice

Cite this Entry

“Spice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spice. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

spice

1 of 2 noun
1
: a plant product (as pepper or nutmeg) that has a strong pleasant smell and is used to season or flavor food
2
: something that adds interest
variety is the spice of life
3
: a fragrant odor : perfume

spice

2 of 2 verb
spiced; spicing
: to season with or as if with spices

More from Merriam-Webster on spice

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!