aniseed
Aniseed (noun) means the seed-like fruit of the anise plant, used in baking and to flavour drinks such as ouzo. Example: “She stirred a pinch of aniseed into the biscuit dough.”
How to use aniseed
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe flavourful seed of the anise plant, used in cooking and drinks.
Aniseed is an everyday word, common in cookery and food writing.
Aniseed is the common spelling, but anise seed and aniseseed also appear as accepted alternative forms.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She stirred a pinch of _____ into the biscuit dough.
Etymology
The word comes from Middle English forms such as anece seed and annys sede, which simply combined anise with seed. It has kept that straightforward two-part sense into modern English.
