/spaɪs/
OriginFormed by analogy with lice and mice as the plurals of louse and mouse.
First attested use Christopher Morley in “Morley's Magnum” (1935).
Made popular by Robert A. Heinlein in Time Enough for Love (1973).
- countable, uncountableAromatic or pungent plant matter (usually dried) used to season or flavor food.
“Vanilla itself was transplanted from Madagascar, the main source of the spice, to Polynesia a century ago.”
- uncountableThe quality of being spicy.
“What spice level do you want for your pad thai? I recommend mild.”
- figuratively, uncountableAppeal, interest; an attribute that makes something appealing, interesting, or engaging.
“variety is the spice of life”
“Honor, a^([sic]) 18-year-old high school student who thinks she has it more together than her fellow students and who looks to both Leslie and Bernie to provide friendship and spice in her life.”
- uncountableA psychoactive neocannabinoid.
- Yorkshire, uncountableSweets, candy.
“Let's go daan to t'spice shop an see what they've i stock”
- countable, obsolete, uncountableSpecies; kind.
- countable, uncountableA characteristic touch or taste; smack; flavour.
- countable, uncountableAn aromatic odor.
- Internet, uncountableErotic or pornographic material, usually written; smut.
- countable, uncountableAn additional input parameter used as a secondary, non-secret key in the Hasty Pudding cipher.
- form-of, humorous, nonce-word, plural, usuallyplural of spouse
- transitiveTo add spice or spices to; season.
“Madame de Pompadour was fond of chocolates spiced with vanilla and amber.”
- transitiveTo spice up.
“City Men is pretty much the same kind of sentimental comedy spiced with wisecracks as The Women, a disappointingly familiar genre.”
- abbreviation, acronym, alt-ofAcronym of Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis, a general-purpose, open-source analog electronic circuit simulator.
- A surname.
Formsspices(plural) · spices(present, singular, third-person) · spicing(participle, present) · spiced(participle, past) · spiced(past) · Spices(plural)