spice

noun

/spaɪs/

Idioms

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[countable, uncountable] one of the various types of powder or seed that come from plants and are used in cooking. Spices have a strong taste and smell.
- common spices such as ginger and cinnamon
- a spice jar
Topics Foodb2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- ground
- mixed
- exotic
- …
spice + noun
- mix
- mixture
- rub
- …
phrases
- herbs and spices
See full entry
[uncountable] extra interest or excitement
- We need an exciting trip to add some spice to our lives.
- The danger added spice to their romance.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- extra
verb + spice
- add
- give
phrases
- the spice of life
See full entry
[uncountable] a powerful illegal synthetic (= artificial) drug that some people smoke for the physical and mental effects that it has on them
- Six men overdosed on the synthetic drug known as spice.
- spice, known as the ‘zombie’ drug

Word OriginMiddle English: shortening of Old French espice, from Latin species ‘sort, kind’, in late Latin ‘wares’.

Idioms

variety is the spice of life

verb

/spaɪs/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they spice	/spaɪs/ /spaɪs/
he / she / it spices	/ˈspaɪsɪz/ /ˈspaɪsɪz/
past simple spiced	/spaɪst/ /spaɪst/
past participle spiced	/spaɪst/ /spaɪst/
-ing form spicing	/ˈspaɪsɪŋ/ /ˈspaɪsɪŋ/

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spice something (up) (with something) to add spice to food in order to give it more taste
- highly spiced dishes
Extra Examples
- I don't really like highly spiced food.
- Their bread is spiced with cinnamon.
- a dish of lightly spiced rice
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
preposition
- with
phrases
- heavily spiced
- highly spiced
- lightly spiced
- …
See full entry
spice something (up) (with something) to add interest or excitement to something
- He exaggerated the details to spice up the story.
- Her conversation is always spiced with humour.

Word OriginMiddle English: shortening of Old French espice, from Latin species ‘sort, kind’, in late Latin ‘wares’.