# spice

/ˈspaɪs/ (US) · /spˈaɪs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/spice
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. food seasoning

noun · CEFR B1

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

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

- He added a little extra spice to the curry to make it more flavorful.
- The merchant specialized in rare spices imported from across the archipelago, including high-grade nutmeg and cloves.

### 2. excitement or variety

noun · CEFR B2

the quality of being exciting, interesting, or different.

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

- They say that variety is the spice of life.
- The director added a few unexpected plot twists to provide some much-needed spice to the otherwise predictable script.

### 3. erotic content

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

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

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

- The book review warned that there was quite a bit of spice in the later chapters.
- Online communities often use a rating system to indicate the level of spice present in fan-authored fiction.

### 4. humorous plural of spouse

noun · CEFR C2 · Humorous · Informal

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

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

- The company invited all employees and their spice to the holiday party.
- The invitation was addressed to 'Staff and Spice', a playful touch that reflected the office's casual culture.

### 5. to add flavor

verb · CEFR B1

to add spices to food while cooking.

For teachers: to season food with aromatic or pungent vegetable substances.

- You should spice the meat at least an hour before you grill it.
- The chef demonstrated how to spice the broth without overpowering the delicate flavor of the seafood.

### 6. to make more interesting

verb · CEFR B2

to make something more exciting or lively.

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

- She decided to spice up her presentation with some funny videos.
- The editor suggested several revisions to spice up the opening chapter and hook the reader immediately.

## Examples

- I like to add a little spice to my soup.
- The chef uses a secret blend of spice to give the grilled chicken its unique smoky flavor.
- While the core plot of the novel is quite standard, the author adds enough narrative spice through witty dialogue to keep the reader engaged until the final chapter.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.