What does spice mean?
“Spice” is a word for a substance that gives food or drink a distinctive flavor, aroma, or pungency. Familiar examples include pepper, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and many herbs and seed-based seasonings. The word can also describe the lively quality that makes an experience memorable: a performance may be said to have spice, or a meal may be enlivened or made more appealing by the addition of spice. As a verb, “to spice” means either to season something or to make it more stimulating, amusing, or interesting. The term is common in both everyday speech and figurative writing, where it often conveys a positive sense of energy and vitality. Its historical meaning, connected with the Latin species, originally referred to a kind or type of substance.
A substance obtained from a plant or other natural source and used to add flavor, aroma, or pungency to food or drink; also, figuratively, a quality that enlivens or stimulates.
"Cinnamon is one of the most widely used spices in baking."
The noun is common both for individual seasonings and collectively for culinary seasonings. Its figurative use suggests excitement, vitality, or an enlivening quality.
To add spice or seasoning to food or drink; to enliven or make something more interesting and exciting.
"The host used dried herbs to spice the vegetables."
The figurative sense is especially common in speech about performances, events, stories, and conversations.
Use the plural when referring to multiple individual seasonings or to the culinary ingredients collectively.
"The cupboard contains a collection of spices from around the world."
The word spice began by referring to a kind or type of substance, a sense that survives in the related Latin word species.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does spice come from?
The English word comes through Old French espice, from the Latin species, meaning “kind,” “sort,” or “appearance.” The original sense referred to a kind or type of material, including medicinal substances and spices, before the modern culinary meaning became dominant. The Latin root also produced cognates such as species, special, specific, and specify.
Related word forms
How spice is actually used
As a noun, “spice” can refer to a single seasoning or collectively to a group of seasonings. In figurative use, “spice” usually suggests excitement, variety, or vitality and is often somewhat informal. As a verb, “spice” commonly means to season food, but it can also mean to enliven a performance, story, or event.