Anise

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Anise \An"ise\ ([a^]n"[i^]s), n. [OE. anys, F. anis, L. anisum,
     anethum, fr. Gr. 'a`nison, 'a`nhqon.]
     1. (Bot.) An umbelliferous plant ({Pimpinella anisum})
        growing naturally in Egypt, and cultivated in Spain,
        Malta, etc., for its carminative and aromatic seeds.
        [1913 Webster]


  
     2. The fruit or seeds of this plant.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Apiaceae \Apiaceae\ prop. n.
     A natural family of plants bearing flowers in umbels;
     examples are: {parsley}; {carrot}; {anise}; {caraway};
     {celery}; {dill}.
  
     Syn: Umbelliferae, family {Umbelliferae}, family {Apiaceae},
          carrot family
          [WordNet 1.5]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  anise
       n 1: native to Egypt but cultivated widely for its aromatic seeds
            and the oil from them used medicinally and as a
            flavoring in cookery [syn: {anise plant}, {Pimpinella
            anisum}]
       2: liquorice-flavored seeds or oil used in cookies or cakes or
          pickles [syn: {aniseed}]

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Anise
     This word is found only in Matt. 23:23. It is the plant commonly
     known by the name of dill, the Peucedanum graveolens of the
     botanist. This name dill is derived from a Norse word which
     means to soothe, the plant having the carminative property of
     allaying pain. The common dill, the Anethum graveolens, is an
     annual growing wild in the cornfields of Spain and Portugal and
     the south of Europe generally. There is also a species of dill
     cultivated in Eastern countries known by the name of shubit. It
     was this species of garden plant of which the Pharisees were in
     the habit of paying tithes. The Talmud requires that the seeds,
     leaves, and stem of dill shall pay tithes. It is an
     umbelliferous plant, very like the caraway, its leaves, which
     are aromatic, being used in soups and pickles. The proper anise
     is the Pimpinella anisum.