Licorice

2 definitions found

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

  Licorice \Lic"o*rice\ (l[i^]k"[-o]*r[i^]s), n. [OE. licoris,
     through old French, fr. L. liquiritia, corrupted fr.
     glycyrrhiza, Gr. glyky`rriza; glyky`s sweet + "ri`za root.
     Cf. {Glycerin}, {Glycyrrhiza}, {Wort}.] [Written also
     {liquorice}.]
     1. (Bot.) A plant of the genus {Glycyrrhiza} ({Glycyrrhiza


        glabra}), the root of which abounds with a sweet juice,
        and is much used in demulcent compositions.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. The inspissated juice of licorice root, used as a
        confection and for medicinal purposes.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Licorice fern} (Bot.), a name of several kinds of polypody
        which have rootstocks of a sweetish flavor.
  
     {Licorice sugar}. (Chem.) See {Glycyrrhizin}.
  
     {Licorice weed} (Bot.), the tropical plant {Scapania dulcis}.
        
  
     {Mountain licorice} (Bot.), a kind of clover ({Trifolium
        alpinum}), found in the Alps. It has large purplish
        flowers and a sweetish perennial rootstock.
  
     {Wild licorice}. (Bot.)
        (a) The North American perennial herb {Glycyrrhiza
            lepidota}.
        (b) Certain broad-leaved cleavers ({Galium circ[ae]zans}
            and {Galium lanceolatum}).
        (c) The leguminous climber {Abrus precatorius}, whose
            scarlet and black seeds are called {black-eyed
            Susans}. Its roots are used as a substitute for those
            of true licorice ({Glycyrrhiza glabra}).
            [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  licorice
       n 1: 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 [syn: {liquorice}, {Glycyrrhiza
            glabra}]
       2: a black candy flavored with the dried root of the licorice
          plant [syn: {liquorice}]