plural spices
1
: a plant product (such as pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, or ginger) that is used to season or flavor foods and is usually comprised of seeds, fruits, bark, or rhizomes that have been dried and typically ground
2
3
: a pungent or fragrant odor : perfume
spiced; spicing
1
: to season with spices
2
: to add zest or relish to
… cynicism spiced with humor.—
J. W. Dawson
—often used with up
J. W. DawsonExamples 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
Emily Olsen, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
Expect for most ground spices to have a shelf life of around two to four years, while whole spices are typically okay within a three-to-four-year span.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 11 Nov. 2025
Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Nov. 2025
Testers noted that the filling was strongly spiced which some liked, but was too overpowering for others and gave it an almost artificial taste that overwhelmed the crust.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spice
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Noun
And the only reason Tamerra and Melanie lacked spice is that those observations just feel like really good common sense.
—Emily Olsen, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
Expect for most ground spices to have a shelf life of around two to four years, while whole spices are typically okay within a three-to-four-year span.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
One is delicately spiced with cinnamon and cloves, while the other is rich and plain, creating a beautiful contrast in both flavor and appearance.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Nov. 2025
Testers noted that the filling was strongly spiced which some liked, but was too overpowering for others and gave it an almost artificial taste that overwhelmed the crust.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spice
Cite this Entry
“Spice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spice. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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