Definitions
01food seasoning
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Cooking
n. a dried part of a plant, like a seed or bark, used to give flavor to food.
n. aromatic or pungent vegetable substances, such as pepper or cinnamon, used to season or flavor culinary preparations.
日本語:香辛料、スパイス※
“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.”
02excitement or variety
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the quality of being exciting, interesting, or different.
n. an attribute or quality that imparts zest, excitement, or interest to a situation or activity.
日本語:スパイス※
“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.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03erotic content
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Slang · Informal
n. a word used online to describe romantic or sexual content in stories.
n. 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.”
04humorous plural of spouse
C2 · Proficiency Plural noun Humorous · Informal
n. a funny way to say 'spouses' (more than one husband or wife).
n. 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.”
Synonyms
05to add flavor
B1 · Intermediate Cooking
v. to add spices to food while cooking.
v. 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.”
06to make more interesting
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to make something more exciting or lively.
v. 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.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “spice” in context.
Verb
01. add spice to life
“Traveling to new countries is a great way to add spice to life.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
02. grind the spices
“You should grind the spices fresh to get the best flavor for your curry.”
verb + noun
Adjective
03. aromatic spices
“We used aromatic spices like cinnamon and cloves to bake the cake.”
adj + noun
04. exotic spices
“The market was filled with the scent of exotic spices from all over the world.”
adj + noun
Noun
05. blend of spices
“The chef created a unique blend of spices for his signature dish.”
noun + of + noun
06. spice rack
“She organized all her jars of cumin and paprika on the new spice rack.”
noun + noun
07. variety of spices
“This recipe requires a wide variety of spices to achieve a complex taste.”
noun + of + noun
Real-World Examples
“It’s made from bacon, lean pork and spices and has a mild flavour.” “I’ve tested these cushions on my office chair, on airplane seats, and on my god-awfully uncomfortable wooden kitchen chair, because a variety of work locations is the spice of life.” “I bring my own containers and bags to fill with cereals, flour, pasta, rice, tofu, sugar, coffee beans, lentils, spices and more.” “One reason for this could be that younger consumers are often attracted to iced coffee, rather than the warmer drinks in which pumpkin spice is usually used, suggests Forsyth.” Etymology
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.
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).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0