Hip Glossary: Spice
Spice:
Spice (?), n. [OE. spice, spece, spice, species, OF. espice, espece, F. épice spice, esp’8ace species, fr. L. species particular sort or kind, a species, a sight, appearance, show, LL., spices, drugs, etc., of the same sort, fr. L. specere to look.]
1. Species; kind. [Obs.]
The spices of penance ben three. Chaucer.
Justice, although it be but one entire virtue, yet is described in two kinds of spices. The one is named justice distributive, the other is called commutative. Sir T. Elyot.
2. A vegetable production of many kinds, fragrant or aromatic and pungent to the taste, as pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, allspice, ginger, cloves, etc., which are used in cookery and to flavor sauces, pickles, etc.
Hast thou aught in thy purse [bag] any hot spices? Piers Plowman
Source:websters1913dictionary