Definition of LICORICE

licorice

Plural: licorices

Noun

  • A sweet, aromatic herb, or its candy flavoring.
  • deep-rooted coarse-textured plant native to the Mediterranean region having blue flowers and pinnately compound leaves; widely cultivated in Europe for its long thick sweet roots
  • a black candy flavored with the dried root of the licorice plant
  • A plant of species Glycyrrhiza glabra, or sometimes in North America, the related American licorice plant Glycyrrhiza lepidota.
  • A type of candy made from that plant's dried root or its extract.
  • A black color, named after the licorice.
  • A flavoring agent made from dried root portions of the aforementioned plant.
  • A supposed aphrodisiac made in the past from dried roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra and Glycyrrhiza echinata.

Examples

  • Placing LICORICE on the double letter score gave me a sweet advantage in Words With Friends.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English lycorys, from Old French licoresse, from Late Latin liquiritia, alteration of Ancient Greek γλυκύρριζα (glukúrrhiza): γλυκύς (glukús, “sweet”) + ῥίζα (rhíza, “root”) (English glucose, English rhizome). Doublet of glycyrrhiza.

Synonyms

Glycyrrhiza glabra, liquorice, sugarallie

Scrabble Score: 12

licorice: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
licorice: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
licorice: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 15

licorice: valid Words With Friends Word