Forms: 3 licoriz, 3–5 licorys, lycorys, 4–5 lycorice, -yce, 5 lycuryce, 5–6 li-, lycores(se, 5–7 li-, lycoris(e, (6 -yse, -yze, -isse), 6 likorice, lykorise, lickorise, licquoris, liquerise, lyqueryce, -esse, li-, lycouresse, lycuresse, lykeres, liquoras, 6–7 li-, lycoras, liquoris, 7 lichoras, licorish, liquirice, liqueres, lykyrrhize, licourice, 7–8 liquorish, 9 dial. lickerish, 6– licorice, 7– liquorice. [a. AF. lycorys, OF. *licorice, early mod.F. liquerice (Cotgr.), ad. late L. liquiritia (whence It. liquirizia, legorizia, MHG. lakeritze, mod.G. lakritze, Du. lakk(e)ris, Da., Sw. lakrits), corruptly a. Gr. γλυκύρριζα (latinized glycyrrhiza by Pliny), f. γλυκύς sweet + ῥίζα root. The Rom. langs. in general have metathetic forms of the late L. word: OF. recolisse, regolisse, etc. (mod.F. réglisse), Pr. regalicia, Sp. regaliz(a, Pg. regaliz, regalice, It. regolizia.]
1. The rhizome (also called liquorice-root) of the plant Glycyrrhiza glabra. Also, a preparation (used medicinally and as a sweetmeat) made from the evaporated juice of this rhizome, and commonly sold in black cylindrical sticks; also called extract of liquorice, stick or Spanish liquorice, Spanish juice. Italian liquorice: a similar product obtained from Glycyrrhiza echinata.
c. 1205. Lay., 17745. And gingiuere & licoriz he hom lefliche ȝef.
13[?]. K. Alis., 428. His love is al so swete, y-wis, So ever is mylk or licoris!
a. 1310. in Wright, Lyric P., v. 26. Such licoris mai leche from lyve to lone, Such sucre mon secheth that saveth men sone.
1436. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 160. Commodytés … commynge out of Spayne,… Bene fygues And lycorys, Syvyle oyle, and grayne.
1519. Horman, Vulg., 39 b. Lycuresse is good for the voyce.
1542. Boorde, Dyetary, xxii. (1870), 287. Lyqueryce … doth loose fleume.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 356. Cheese made of Mares or Asses milk, and Licorice.
1611. Beaum. & Fl., Knt. Burn. Pestle, I. i. Carry him this sticke of Licoras, tell him his Mistresse sent it him, and bid him bite a peece, ’twill open his pipes the better, say.
1613. in Rec. Convent. Roy. Burghs (1870), II. 396. Ilk gritt ball of brissell annetseides and liqueres.
1684. trans. Bonet’s Merc. Compit., XIV. 487. A Lambitive that consists of the Syrups of Lykyrrhize, violets [etc.].
1685. Lond. Gaz., No. 2000/4. The Juyce of Liquorice of Blois … is sold at the two Pestles and Mortars in St. Martins Lane near Charing-Cross.
1747. Wesley, Prim. Physick (1762), 35. Use Water wherein sliced Liquorice is steeped.
1750. Phil. Trans., XLVII. xii. 77. Their poison … has a great deal of resemblance with Spanish liquorice.
1840. Marryat, Poor Jack, viii. Don’t eat the stick-liquorice.
1869. Blackmore, Lorna D., vi. I cough sometimes in the winter-weather, and father gives me lickerish.
1875. Tennyson, Q. Mary, III. i. 109. He hath a yellow beard…. Like a carrot’s,… and English carrot’s better than Spanish licorice.
fig. 1592. G. Harvey, Pierce’s Super. (1593), 164. O the sugar candy of the delicate bagpipe there: and o the licorise of the diuine dulcimers there.
2. The leguminous plant Glycyrrhiza glabra, the dried rhizome of which is the liquorice of commerce. Applied also to other species, esp. G. echinata.
1548. Turner, Names of Herbes, 40. Glycyrrhiza called in latin Radix dulcis is named in english Lycores, in duch Sueszholtz, or Lycoris or Clarish.
1567. Maplet, Gr. Forest, 50. Of Licorise. Lycorise is so saide, especially through the Greeke word, for that it hath a sweete roote.
1576. Surv., in Antiq. Rep. (1809), IV. 424. Gardinges and Orchettes wharin growes … Cherries, Wallnutes & also Licores.
1588. Greene, Pandosto (1607), Ded. 2. Vnicornes being glutted with brousing on rootes of Lycoras.
1654. Evelyn, Mem. (1857), I. 316. All marsh ground till we came to Brigg, famous for the plantations of licorice.
1760. Brown, Compl. Farmer, II. 31. You may, if a deep mould, plant them [certain lands] with liquorish.
1811. Lysons, Suppl. Env. Lond., 448. About ten acres of licorice have lately been planted in the parishes of Barnes and Mortlake.
1830. Lindley, Nat. Syst. Bot., 91. The roots of the liquorice contain an abundance of a sweet subacrid mucilaginous juice.
1870. Yeats, Nat. Hist. Comm., 243. Liquorice is a native of Italy, Spain, Sicily, and the southern parts of Europe.
3. Applied, with qualifying epithet, to various plants, the roots of which resemble or are used as substitutes for the true liquorice, as English, Indian, mountain, wild liquorice (see quots.).
1548. Turner, Names of Herbes, 86. Regalicum … It maye be called in englishe mocke Licores, because the leaues are lyke Licores.
1725. Bradley, Fam. Dict., II. 6 E ij/1. Put to it as much of the fine Powder of Bole Armoniack and English Liquorish … as will make it up into a stiff Paste.
1760. J. Lee, Introd. Bot., App. 317. Liquorice, Wild, Astragalus; Caperaria; Glycine.
1866. Treas. Bot., II. 687/2. Wild liquorice, Abrus; also an American name for Galium circæzans.
4. attrib. and Comb., as liquorice-planter, † -race (= root), -root, -runner, -set, -soup, -stick, -tree, -water, -wood; liquorice juice, the juice extracted from liquorice root, esp. as dried and prepared for use; liquorice mass, paste, ‘crude liquorice’ (Cent. Dict.); liquorice powder, ground liquorice root, used as an aperient; liquorice vetch, Astragalus glycyphyllus; liquorice weed, a tropical plant, Scoparia dulcis (Cent. Dict.).
1657. Tomlinson, Renou’s Disp., I. vi. 392. Of *Liquorice Juyce.
1838. Penny Cycl., XI. 279/1. Good liquorice juice is black, dry, easily broken…, with a shining fracture.
1763. Museum Rusticum, I. lx. 256. *Liquorice-planters in Yorkshire and Surry.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 328, ¶ 3. When I had occasion to buy Treacle or *Liquorish Power [sic] at the apothecary’s shop.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 183. *Liquericie rase ʓ iij.
1530. Palsgr., 239/1. *Lycorice rote, reclice.
1789. W. Buchan, Dom. Med. (1790), 401. Sliced liquorice-root.
1763. Museum Rusticum, I. lx. 253. Some *liquorice runners, or *sets are to be procured.
1864. Daily Tel., 10 March, 5/1. Ruining my digestion—as I am doing now—on the *liquorice soup and fat pork which constitute the usual diet at the hotel.
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong, Vn friquet,… also a *lickorous sticke.
1782. J. Mill, Diary (1889), 67. A decoction of 2 oz. lint-seed, 2 do. of Liquorish-stick bruised and boiled.
1882. A. J. C. Hare, in Gd. Words, March, 186. The rich plain sprinkled with *liquorice-trees.
1760. J. Lee, Introd. Bot., App. 317. *Liquorice Vetch, Astragalus.
1882. Garden, 24 June, 439/1. In the hedges you may very occasionally meet with a rare plant … known by the not inappropriate name of Liquorice Vetch.
1865. Athenæum, No. 1984. 614/2. A glass of *liquorice-water.
1611. Florio, Ligorítia, the *Lycorice-wood.
