Spice sb.

Forms: 3 spis, 4, 6 spise, spyse, 4–6 spyce, 3– spice. [ad. OF. espice (mod.F. épice), ad. L. speciēs SPECIES. Cf. SPECE.]

  1.  One or other of various strongly flavored or aromatic substances of vegetable origin, obtained from tropical plants, commonly used as condiments or employed for other purposes on account of their fragrance and preservative qualities.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 370. Þe on was iwuned, uor his kolde mawe uorto nutten hote spices.

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 2247. Fruit and spices of dere pris, Bereð ðat man ðat is so wis.

a. 1272.  Luue Ron, 168, in O. E. Misc. Þu ert swetture þan eny spis.

13[?].  K. Alis., 5651 (Laud MS.). Þer ne groweþ no whete, Ne oþer corne, bot spyces swete, Þerof hij maken her breed.

1382.  Wyclif, Luke xxiii. 56. And thei turnynge aȝen, maden redy swete spices, and oynementis.

c. 1420.  Liber Cocorum (1862), 11. Do þer to pynys and saunders,… And oþer goode spyces þou take.

1450–80.  trans. Secreta Secret., 33. Lete him haue savor of encence and othir good spicis among.

a. 1533.  Ld. Berners, Huon, lxxxi. 243. It is not possyble to gyue ony trewe Iugemente when you and we are full of wyne and spyces.

1553.  Eden, Treat. New Ind. (Arb.), 27. Pouderinge with spyces the bodye therein inclosed, that no euyll sauoure maye passe foorth.

1625.  N. Carpenter, Geog. Del., II. iii. (1635), 53. Let our Merchants answer, which owe their Spices to Arabia.

1692.  Tryon, Good Housew. made Doctor, xvii. 143. Such a prodigious encrease of sugars, Spanish Fruits, Wines and Spices.

1725.  Sloane, Jamaica, II. 77. It may deservedly be ’counted one of the best Spices in common Use, having a very fine Relish of many, from thence called All-Spice.

1770.  Langhorne, Plutarch (1851), II. 816/2. The spices and rich robes that were burned with him were very expensive.

1842.  Loudon, Suburban Hort., 646. Baked in pies with spices, they have an excellent flavour.

1891.  Farrar, Darkn. & Dawn, lix. Nero had so many spices burnt at her funeral that the learned doubted whether Arabia could furnish more in a single summer.

  b.  fig. (In ME. sometimes applied to persons.)

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 78. Hope is a swete spice wiðinne þe heorte.

13[?].  E. E. Allit. P., A. 235. Ho profered me speche þat special spyce. Ibid., 938. Þat specyal spyce þen to me spakk.

a. 1400.  Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., xxviii. 21. Heil spice sprong þat neuer was spent.

c. 1450.  Godstow Reg., 21. That heuenly spyce hit is ful swete.

1605.  Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. i. § 3. This correctiue spice, the mixture whereof maketh knowledge so souernigne, is Charitie.

1652.  Benlowes, Theoph., X. iii. 179. No Grandee Patron court I, nor entice Love-glances from enchanting Eyes, Nor Blandishments from lisping Wantons vocall Spice.

1784.  Cowper, Task, II. 606. Variety’s the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavour.

1859.  Habits Gd. Society, xii. 323. The gentlemen of the bar … make a charming spice to a dinner.

1874.  L. Stephen, Hours in Library (1892), I. x. 358. He meant something more, which gives the real spice to his writings.

  c.  An odor or perfume arising from, or resembling that of, spices. (Cf. 2 c.)

1560.  Bible (Geneva), Song Sol. iv. 16. Blowe on my garden, that the spices thereof may flowe out.

1855.  Tennyson, Maud, I. XXII. i. The woodbine spices are wafted abroad.

  2.  Without article, as a substance or in collective sense. (In Sc. use freq. = pepper.)

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 2103. Asie … es þe best, for þar in es … Precius stans and spice of prise.

c. 1400.  Maundev. (1839), vi. 67. Thei ete it in stede of Spice.

1474.  Caxton, Chesse, 101. Medecynes maad wyth precious spyce.

a. 1548.  Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 217. To whom the Erle of Sussex … brought a voyde of spice and comfettes.

1611.  Shaks., Wint. T., IV. iii. 128. Your purse is not hot enough to purchase your Spice.

1694.  Crowne, Regulus, II. 12. A man all vertue, like a pye all spice, will not please.

1717.  Lady M. W. Montagu, Let. C’tess Mar, 18 April. They use a great deal of rich spice.

1805.  Southey, Madoc in W., xv. The dead,… with precious gums and spice Fragrant, and incorruptibly preserved.

1842.  Longf., Quadroon Girl, iii. Odours of orange-flowers and spice Reached them.

  b.  dial. (See quots.)

1674.  Ray, N. C. Words, 44. Spice: Raisins, plums, figs and such like fruit. York-sh. [Hence in Bailey and Grose.]

1788.  W. H. Marshall, Yorksh., II. 354. Spice; dried fruit, as raisins, currants, &c.

1828.  Carr, Craven Gloss., Spice, sweet meats of any kind.

1855.  [Robinson], Whitby Gloss., Spice, the common term here for sweetmeats and confectionery of all sorts, but especially for gingerbread articles.

  c.  Spicy fragrance. (Cf. 1 c.)

1833.  Tennyson, Pal. Art, 116. A summer fann’d with spice. Ibid. (1850), In Mem., ci. And many a rose-carnation [shall] feed With summer spice the humming air.

  d.  techn. (See quot.)

1858.  Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Spice,… a technical name among sugar-refiners for bullocks’-blood.

  † 3.  A sort, kind or species. Obs.

1303.  R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 7585. Ȝyt þyr ys a-noþer spyce Þat cumþ of þe fendes malyce.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Pars. T., ¶ 102. The spices of penitence ben thre.

c. 1449.  Pecock, Repr., II. xiii. 228. Ech spice of moral yuel is moral yuel, and is a morali yuel spice.

1483.  Caxton, Cato, 3 b. Of the seuen spyces of ydolatrye.

1528.  Paynell, Salerne’s Regim., b j b. There is an other spice or fleure, which is swete and some what warme.

1587.  Golding, De Mornay, xiv. (1596), 211. For alterations or chaunges, are spices, or rather consequents of moouing.

  † b.  In the phr. a spice of, a kind of. Obs.

  Freq. not clearly distinguishable from sense 5.

c. 1380.  Wyclif, Sel. Wks., I. 27. For þis is a spise of pride that men clepen ypocrisie.

c. 1400.  Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 180. Allopucia is a maner spice of lepre þat comeþ of rotid fleume.

c. 1460.  Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1885), 144. Such givinge were no vertu, but a spice of prodigalite.

1520.  Whitinton, Vulg. (1527), 3 b. It is a spyce of peuysshe pryde … whan a man wyll take a singuler waye by hymselfe.

1538.  Elyot, Addit., Cachexia, a spyce of a consumption, which procedeth of an yll disposition of the body.

1601.  B. Jonson, Poetaster, IV. vi. Bountie is A spice of vertue.

  † 4.  a. Appearance, semblance. Obs.

1382.  Wyclif, 1 Thess. v. 22. Absteyne ȝou fro al yuel spice, or liknesse. Ibid. (1382), 2 Tim. iii. 5. Hauynge sothli the spice, or licnesse, of pite, forsothe denyinge the vertu of it.

  † b.  = SPECIES 2. Obs.^–1

c. 1425.  Orolog. Sapient., vi. in Anglia, X. 377/43. So longe-tyme dwellith goddis body as ben hole þe spices of þe sacramente.

  † c.  = SPECIES 6. Obs.^–1

1547.  Baldwin, Mor. Philos. (1564), 106. Plato affirmeth that there is set in the soule of man … certaine spices, or as it were seedes of thinges.

  5.  A slight touch or trace of some physical disorder or malady. Now dial.

a. 1479.  Harding, Chron., Pref. xxv. Though this werke haue some spice of blindnesse, Yet is the autoure not to bee blamed muche.

1530.  Palsgr., 274/1. Spyce of the axes.

1579–80.  North, Plutarch, Sylla (1895), III. 304. A paine and numnesse in his legges,… Strabo calleth it a spice of the gowte.

1635.  Brathwait, Arcadian Princ., 43–4. Sure I am, their whole family seemes to have a spice of the same malady.

1719.  De Foe, Crusoe, I. (Globe), 96. I had a little Spice of the cold Fit, but it was not much.

1733.  Swift, Lett. to Sheridan, 27 March, Wks. 1841, II. 700/2. I have been much out of order with a spice of my giddiness.

1838.  Holloway, Prov. Dict., s.v., I have a spice of the rheumatism.

  b.  A slight touch, trace, or share, a dash or flavor, of some thing or quality.

  In later use frequently with suggestion of sense 1.

1531.  Elyot, Gov., I. xix. Daunsis whiche … contained in them a spice of idolatrie.

1564.  Brief Exam., B ij. Those … do go about with these reliques to maynteyne at least a little spyse of Masse.

1611.  Middleton & Dekker, Roaring Girl, II. i. I had my Latin tongue, and a spice of the French.

a. 1677.  Barrow, Serm., Wks. 1716, I. 169. The contrary practice hath indeed within it a spice of slander.

1709.  Steele, Tatler, No. 39, ¶ 42. There must be a Spice of Romantick Gallantry in the composition of that very Pretty Fellow.

1790.  Gouv. Morris, in Sparks, Life & Writ. (1832), III. 16. The Flemings have … a little spice of obstinacy in their character.

1835.  W. Irving, Tour Prairies, xxx. 282. The horse … had a considerable spice of devil in his composition.

1887.  Jessopp, Arcady, ii. 49. A certain gentle rebuke at your negligence and a spice of jealousy too.

  c.  A specimen or sample. rare.

1790.  Grose, Prov. Gloss. (ed. 2), Suppl., Spice, a sample. I gave him a spice of his behaviour.

c. 1816.  Mrs. Sherwood, Stories Ch. Catech., xi. (1855), 91. He would often give the company a spice of what he had learned at school.

  † 6.  Cant. (See quot.) Obs.

1812.  J. H. Vaux, Flash Dict., s.v., The spice is the game of footpad robbery…. A spice is a footpad robber.

  7.  a. attrib. in combinations denoting receptacles or places for holding spice, as spice-bag, -bowl, † bust, -dish, -house, etc., or preparations in which spice is an ingredient, as spice-ball, -bread, -broth, -bun, etc.; also misc., as spice-blossom, -merchant, -plant, -shop, -trade. Also SPICE-BOX, etc.

1591.  Percivall, Sp. Dict., Alcartaz para especias, a *spice bag, a coffin for spice.

1879.  Miss Jackson, Shropsh. Word-bk., *Spice-balls, same as Faggits [a kind of sausages made of the liver and lights of a pig, boiled with sweet herbs, and finely chopped].

1879.  Mrs. A. E. James, Ind. Househ. Managem., 71. There are very likely other ingredients … in the proper spice-balls, and a native ‘vet’ … will withhold some principal ingredient while pretending to give you the whole recipe.

1819.  Keats, Fall Hyperion, I. 21. Where trees of every clime … With plantain, and *spice-blossoms, made a screen.

1665.  Wood, Life (O.H.S.), II. 50. W., at Jeanses with *spice-bolls, 7d.

1727.  Somerville, Fables, Wks. 1790, II. 106.

1555.  Machyn, Diary (Camden), 91. After durge *speysse-bred and wine.

1579.  Fulke, Refut. Rastel, 728. His comparing of the sacrament with spicebread and cakebread sauoureth of a mynde that … derideth all religion.

1897.  R. M. Gilchrist, Peakland Faggot, 69. Mrs. Fearnehough, the landlady, was busily kneading spice-bread.

1777.  Brand, Pop. Antiq., App. 336. A smoking Prize of *Spice-Broth.

1857.  Household Words, XVI. 201. They all … sat down to regale on the tea and *spice-buns we had provided.

1489.  Acta Dom. Concil. (1839), 131. Þe dosane of siluer spvnis, siluer salt-fat, & *spice bust.

1420.  E. E. Wills (1882), 46. Also a *spyce disshe of seluer.

1863.  in Robson, Bards of Tyne, 22. There will be pies and *spice dumplings.

1468–9.  Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 92. Pro nova construccione unius *spyce-house ad exitum Coquine, xxxs.

1591.  Exch. Rolls Scotl., XXII. 121. Andro Qulyte, maister in the spicehous. Ibid. (1588), XXI. 368. David Manteithe, maister in the *spyce lardner.

1611.  Bible, 1 Kings x. 15. The traffique of the *spice-merchants.

1862.  Catal. Internat. Exhib., Brit., II. No. 5383, Examples of the most useful *spice plants.

1824.  Piper, Dial. Sheffield, 22 (E.D.D.). *Spice-pudding.

c. 1475.  Cath. Angl., 355/1. A *Spice schope, apotheca vel ipotheca.

1647.  Hexham, I. A spice shop, een specerye winckel.

1860.  Ingledew, Ballads Yks., 278. This wor a spice shop, where t’ lads met.

1808.  Spec. Yorksh. Dial., 21. Temptin’ *spice-stalls rang’d i’ rows.

1670.  R. Coke, Disc. Trade, 39. If the French King can establish a *Spice Trade, wherein he is wonderously industruous.

1796.  Morse, Amer. Geog., II. 331. The good fortune of the Dutch, in rendering themselves masters of the spice-trade.

1590.  in Archaeol., XL. 333. Item, iij *spice treyes, xvjd.

1848.  trans. Hofmeister’s Trav. Ceylon, etc. iv. 171. It is the Bazaar, in which … the *spice-warehouses predominate.

  b.  Comb., as spice-bearer, -seller, -vendor; spice-bearing, -breathing, -burnt, -fraught, -warmed adjs.

1845.  Kitto, Cycl. Bibl. Lit., s.v. Burial, In the splendid funeral procession of Herod, 500 of his servants attended as *spice-bearers.

1796.  H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), III. 647. The *spice-bearing trees of the Moluccas.

1648.  J. Beaumont, Psyche, III. ccxiv. (1702), 40. As one … doth wondring go Through those *spice-breathing paths.

1858.  Brit. Q. Rev., LVI. 344. Raleigh’s search after spice-breathing islands and gold-paved cities.

1589.  Warner, Alb. Eng., V. xxvi. Rarer then the onely Fowle of *Spice-burnt Ashes bread.

1868.  J. H. Newman, Verses Var. Occas., 42. Transport fresh as *spice-fraught gale.

1647.  Hexham, I. A *spice seller, een specerye verkooper.

1890.  P. H. Hunter, After the Exile, II. vi. 133. The goldsmiths and *spice-vendors—voluntarily contracted for particular gates or portions of wall.

a. 1845.  Eliza Cook, Sunshine, iv. 3, in Poems, Ser. II. 58. The winter hours were long to him who had no *spice-warmed cup.

  8.  Special Combs.: spice apple, a variety of the ordinary apple; spice-berry U.S., winter-green (Gaultheria procumbens); spice-bush U.S., wild allspice, fever-bush (Benzoin odoriferum); also, an aromatic Californian tree of the laurel family; † spice-conscience (attrib.), -conscienced a., having a delicate or tender conscience; spice-islands, the islands in the East from which spices were imported; spice-land, a country that produces spices (in quots. fig.); spice mill, a small hand-machine for grinding spices; † spice mortar, a mortar used for braying or pounding spices in; spice-nut, a gingerbread nut; spice-tea U.S. (see quot.); spice-tree, a spice-bearing tree; spice-wood, (a) U.S., the spice-bush; (b) wood of spice-bearing shrubs.

1611.  Cotgr., Espice,… the *Spice apple (whereof excellent Cyder is made).

1860.  Hogg, Fruit Man., 1. Aromatic Russet…. (Brown Spice,… Spice Apple).

1852.  Mrs. Traill, Canadian Crusoes, vi. 177. The little creeping wintergreen,… which the Canadians call *spice-berry.

1872.  De Vere, Americanisms, 404. The queen of them all is said to be the lovely, creeping snowberry...; although others give the prize to the *spice-berry.

1845–50.  Mrs. Lincoln, Lect. Bot., 161. The Lauris benzoin, called *Spice-bush, has scarlet berries, and is an aromatic plant.

1856.  Bryant, Fountain, ii. There the spice-bush lifts Her leafy lances.

1866.  Treas. Bot., 821/2. Oreodaphne californica is a common tree in the mountainous parts of California, where it goes by a variety of names, such as Mountain Laurel, Spice-bush, Balm of Heaven.

c. 1613.  Rowland, Four Knaves (Percy Soc.), 97. Let *spice-conscience fellows talke their fill, Mine owne’s mine owne.

1600.  Holland, Livy, VI. xxvii. 236. To chuse a third time they made a scruple, so *spice conscienced were they.

1711.  Addison, Spect., No. 69, ¶ 5. My Friend Sir Andrew calls … the *Spice-Islands our Hot-beds.

1776.  Mickle, trans. Camoens’ Lusiad, Introd. xxxiv. note. To find the spice islands of the East was his [Columbus’s] proposal at the court of Spain.

1834.  Coleridge, Table Talk, 10 July. Like breezes blown from the spice-islands of Youth and Hope.

1890.  Cassell’s Pop. Educ., IV. 156/2. Malaysia … includes … Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and Celebes, and the Moluccas or Spice Islands.

1864.  Lowell, Fireside Trav., 153. Those *spice-lands of character which we … must reach … by weary voyages.

1897.  P. Warung, Tales Old Régime, 192. The honeyed sweetness of the spice-land.

1862.  Catal. Internat. Exhib., Brit., II. No. 6141, Pepper and *spice mills.

1562.  J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 195. That *spice mortar to sell it be you willyng?

1628.  R. Norton, Gunner, 62. A Grocers or Apothecaryes spice Morter.

1829.  T. Hook, Bank to Barnes, 120. I passed a few minutes and a bad shilling in bargaining for some *spice-nuts.

1836–7.  Dickens, Sk. Boz, Scenes, xii. 107. To induce you to purchase half a pound of the real spice nuts.

1872.  De Vere, Americanisms, 395. *Spice-tea is … made from another laurel common at the South, the spice-bush.

1796.  H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), II. 248–9. The laurel which bears it is, as well as *spice-trees, a plant of no great elevation.

1868.  Morris, Earthly Par. (1870), I. II. 510. As though in some Arabian plain he stood, Anigh the border of a spice-tree wood.

1760.  J. Lee, Introd. Bot., App. 317. *Spice Wood, Laurus.

1792.  J. Belknap, Hist. New-Hampsh., III. 97. The Spice-wood (Laurus Benzoin) or … Feverbush.

a. 1813.  A. Wilson, Amer. Blue Bird, Poet. Wks. (Belfast ed.), 278. Spicewood and sassafras budding together.

1819.  Keats, Fall Hyperion, I. 236. Many heaps Of other crisped spice-wood.

1846–50.  A. Wood, Class-bk. Bot., 478. Benzoin odoriferum.… Spice Wood.