: the dried unripe berry of a tropical shrub (Piper cubeba) of the pepper family that is used as a spice
Examples of cubeb in a Sentence
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Vetiver, cubeb pepper, lemongrass, and Darjeeling green tea all serve to create a sense of place in these award-winning gins.
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Claudia Alarcón, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
Make the jollof dry spice mix: In a medium bowl, combine the ginger, thyme, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt and cubeb pepper until combined.
—Washington Post, 2 Sep. 2021
From the heat of cubeb berries from Java to the spice of West African Grains of Paradise, every one of Bombay Sapphire’s ten botanicals are chosen to bring their own special something to the gin.
—Amber Love Bond, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2021
That’s rounded out with an unusual bite of cubeb pepper (a type of peppercorn) and grains of paradise (the seeds from a plant in the same family as ginger).
—Paul Stephen, ExpressNews.com, 13 June 2020
In the end, my list was short and solid: blood orange, Spanish lemon (not to be confused with Egyptian lemon, which was less smoky), rosemary—a warhorse of the gin trade, and none the worse for that—and cubeb pepper.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2019
For Salt & Straw's take on the dish, the blood is mixed with cinnamon, cilantro, cubeb pepper, and brandy to create a warm, salty dessert.
—Andrea Park, Teen Vogue, 4 Oct. 2018
In the attempt to conjure a return to nature, Mr. Sercarz created a blend of flavors that includes a wild mint grown in his father’s olive grove in Galilee and Indonesian cubeb berries.
—Christopher Bollen, WSJ, 26 July 2017
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Claudia Alarcón, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
Make the jollof dry spice mix: In a medium bowl, combine the ginger, thyme, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt and cubeb pepper until combined.
—Washington Post, 2 Sep. 2021
From the heat of cubeb berries from Java to the spice of West African Grains of Paradise, every one of Bombay Sapphire’s ten botanicals are chosen to bring their own special something to the gin.
—Amber Love Bond, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2021
That’s rounded out with an unusual bite of cubeb pepper (a type of peppercorn) and grains of paradise (the seeds from a plant in the same family as ginger).
—Paul Stephen, ExpressNews.com, 13 June 2020
In the end, my list was short and solid: blood orange, Spanish lemon (not to be confused with Egyptian lemon, which was less smoky), rosemary—a warhorse of the gin trade, and none the worse for that—and cubeb pepper.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2019
For Salt & Straw's take on the dish, the blood is mixed with cinnamon, cilantro, cubeb pepper, and brandy to create a warm, salty dessert.
—Andrea Park, Teen Vogue, 4 Oct. 2018
In the attempt to conjure a return to nature, Mr. Sercarz created a blend of flavors that includes a wild mint grown in his father’s olive grove in Galilee and Indonesian cubeb berries.
—Christopher Bollen, WSJ, 26 July 2017
Cite this Entry
“Cubeb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cubeb. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
cubeb
noun
cu·beb
ˈkyü-ˌbeb 
: the dried unripe berry of a tropical shrub (Piper cubeba) of the pepper family that was formerly used medicinally when powdered for its effect on mucous membranes especially as a urinary antiseptic and to treat chronic bronchitis
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