Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. An annual, aromatic Mediterranean herb (Pimpinella anisum) in the parsley family, cultivated for its seedlike fruits and the oil obtained from them and used to flavor foods, liqueurs, and candies.
- n. Anise seed.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. An annual umbelliferous plant, P'impinella Anisum. It is indigenous in Egypt, and is cultivated in Spain and Malta, whence the seed is exported. Anise-seeds have an aromatic smell and a pleasant warm taste; they are largely employed in the manufacture of cordials. When distilled with water they yield a volatile, fragrant, syrupy oil, which separates when cooled into two portions, a light oil and a solid camphor.
Wiktionary
- n. An umbelliferous plant (Pimpinella anisum) growing naturally in Egypt, and cultivated in Spain, Malta, etc, for its carminative and aromatic seeds, which are used as a spice. Has a licorice scent.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. An umbelliferous plant (Pimpinella anisum) growing naturally in Egypt, and cultivated in Spain, Malta, etc., for its carminative and aromatic seeds.
- n. The fruit or seeds of this plant.
WordNet 3.0
- n. liquorice-flavored seeds, used medicinally and in cooking and liquors
- n. native to Egypt but cultivated widely for its aromatic seeds and the oil from them used medicinally and as a flavoring in cookery
Etymologies
- Middle English anis, from Old French, from Latin anīsum, from Greek annēson, annīson.
Examples
“With a bunch of lovely garlic ramps and some baby anise from the Union Square market.”
“* Make a dish, baked good, or beverage in which anise is used.”
“- Sra of When My Soup Came Alive made a yummy vegetarian dish: Mixed Vegetable Curry, in which anise is included in the spice mixture”
“Fennel provides the single most distinctive flavor in Italian sausage and it's often described as anise-like.”
“Although called anise, this Chinese herb is not actually related to the anise family but to the magnolia family.”
“By distillation the fruit yields the volatile oil of anise, which is useful in the treatment of flatulence and colic in children.”
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Part 1, Slice 1
“This root, and the flowers, have an odour of anise, which is due to their containing some volatile oil identical with mannite.”
“3 Lightly toast the star anise, which is to say, take them off the heat when they are fragrant, which should only take a minute or two.”
Ribeye Steak Marinated with Juniper Berries, Star Anise and Rosemary
“The result is a clearer soup that has a delicate taste because less spices such as anise are omitted.”
“To the amusement of my fellow shoppers, when my checker pal says, "Oh yeah, this is that anise you always get," she pronounces "anise" with a long "a".”
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