five-spice powder

noun

: a blend of spices typically including anise, pepper, fennel, cloves, and cinnamon that is used in Chinese cooking

Examples of five-spice powder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Spice blends such as baharat, garam masala, five-spice powder, or chili powder work well too, especially with a pinch of brown sugar. Maria Helm Sinskey, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026 An exemplary version of bo kho (beef stew) is heady with lemongrass, fish sauce, ginger, five-spice powder and star anise. Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 5 Mar. 2026 Choose your seasoning—cocoa, curry, barbecue, or five-spice powder—to spice up this recipe combining assorted nuts. Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 14 Jan. 2026 McDowell says five-spice powder, a blend of ground star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds, is one of her favorite ingredients to add to pumpkin pie. Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for five-spice powder

Word History

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of five-spice powder was in 1970

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Cite this Entry

“Five-spice powder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/five-spice%20powder. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.

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