spice

1 of 2

noun

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
a
archaic : a small portion, quantity, or admixture : dash
b
: something that gives zest or relish
Variety's the very spice of life …William Cowper
3
: a pungent or fragrant odor : perfume
spiceless adjective
spiceless food

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Those borderline fruity and herbal aromas intersect with plentiful spice, including cinnamon, allspice, and clove chewing gum. David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025 Stocked in the front are many necessary pantry items: olive oils, vinegars, syrups, spices, nuts, rice, pastas, pulses. Nancy Vienneau, Southern Living, 3 Aug. 2025
Verb
There’s still more drama to spice things up on The Real Housewives of Miami, and the Season 7 midseason trailer gives a preview of what’s to come. Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 1 Aug. 2025 Although the chicken version is arguably the most popular, pork and beef variations are also available for those looking to spice up the classic. Maliah West, AFAR Media, 23 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for spice

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spice. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.

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
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