Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SPICE, n. [Fr. epice; It. spezie; Sp. especia.]

1. A vegetable production, fragrant or aromatic to the smell and pungent to the taste; used in sauces and in cookery.
2. A small quantity; something that enriches or alters the quality of thing in a small degree, as spice alters the taste of a thing.
3. A sample. [Fr. espèce.]