spice

/spaɪs/noun

A dried part of a plant with a strong smell or taste, added to food for flavor.

Example sentences

“Cinnamon is a sweet spice often used in baking.”
“The market stall sold every spice you could imagine.”

The idiom 'spice things up' means to make something more interesting. Herbs come from leaves; spices come from seeds, bark, and roots.

Often confused with spice

spice vs herb: herb (noun): A leafy green plant, or its leaves, used to add flavor to cooking.

Related words

seasonTo add salt, pepper, herbs, or spices to food to give it more flavor.gravyA rich sauce made from the juices and fat that meat or vegetables release while cooking.garlicA plant in the onion family whose strong-smelling bulb is widely used to flavor food.sauceA liquid or semi-liquid food served with a dish to add flavour or moisture.onionA round vegetable of the garlic family, made of strong-smelling layers, eaten cooked or raw and used to flavour food.riceThe small white or brown grains of a cereal plant, cooked and eaten as a staple food.