ENGLISH
REFERENCE

spice

n. · v.
US //ˈspaɪs// UK //spˈaɪs// spice
  1. 1 food seasoning (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Cooking

    a dried part of a plant, like a seed or bark, used to give flavor to food.

    aromatic or pungent vegetable substances, such as pepper or cinnamon, used to season or flavor culinary preparations.

    Example

    He added a little extra spice to the curry to make it more flavorful.

    Example

    The merchant specialized in rare spices imported from across the archipelago, including high-grade nutmeg and cloves.
  2. 2 excitement or variety (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the quality of being exciting, interesting, or different.

    an attribute or quality that imparts zest, excitement, or interest to a situation or activity.

    Example

    They say that variety is the spice of life.

    Example

    The director added a few unexpected plot twists to provide some much-needed spice to the otherwise predictable script.
Show 4 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 erotic content (n.)
    C1 Advanced Slang Informal

    a word used online to describe romantic or sexual content in stories.

    a euphemistic term used in digital spaces to denote the level of erotic or sexual detail in a piece of writing.

    Example

    The book review warned that there was quite a bit of spice in the later chapters.

    Example

    Online communities often use a rating system to indicate the level of spice present in fan-authored fiction.
  2. 4 humorous plural of spouse (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Humorous Informal

    a funny way to say 'spouses' (more than one husband or wife).

    a humorous, non-standard pluralization of 'spouse', formed by analogy with 'mouse' and 'mice'.

    Example

    The company invited all employees and their spice to the holiday party.

    Example

    The invitation was addressed to 'Staff and Spice', a playful touch that reflected the office's casual culture.
  3. 5 to add flavor (v.)
    B1 Intermediate Cooking

    to add spices to food while cooking.

    to season food with aromatic or pungent vegetable substances.

    Example

    You should spice the meat at least an hour before you grill it.

    Example

    The chef demonstrated how to spice the broth without overpowering the delicate flavor of the seafood.
  4. 6 to make more interesting (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to make something more exciting or lively.

    to enhance the interest or excitement of something; frequently used as the phrasal verb 'spice up'.

    Example

    She decided to spice up her presentation with some funny videos.

    Example

    The editor suggested several revisions to spice up the opening chapter and hook the reader immediately.
Etymology 1

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti Proto-Italic *spekjō Late Latin speciō Proto-Italic *-jēs Late Latin -iēs Late Latin speciēs Old French espicebor. Anglo-Norman specebor. Middle English spice English spice Inherited from Middle English spice, from Old French espice (modern épice), from Late Latin speciēs (“spice, good, ware”), from Latin speciēs (“kind, sort”). Doublet of species.

Etymology 2

Formed 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).

Word family
Idioms2 entries

© 2026 English Reference