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Spice vs Balm - What's the difference?

spice | balm |

As nouns the difference between spice and balm

is that spice is plant matter (usually dried) used to season or flavour food while balm is any of various aromatic resins exuded from certain plants, especially trees of the genus Commiphora of Africa, Arabia and India and Myroxylon of South America.

As verbs the difference between spice and balm

is that spice is to add spice or spices to while balm is to anoint with balm, or with anything medicinal.

spice

English

(wikipedia spice)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) espice (modern .

Noun

  • (countable, uncountable) Plant matter (usually dried) used to season or flavour food.
  • (figurative, uncountable) Appeal, interest; an attribute that makes something appealing, interesting, or engaging.
  • (uncountable, Yorkshire) Sweets, candy.
  • (obsolete) Species; kind.
  • * Wyclif Bible, 1 Thessalonians v. 22
    • Abstain you from all evil spice .
  • * Sir T. Elyot
    • Justice, although it be but one entire virtue, yet is described in two kinds of spices . The one is named justice distributive, the other is called commutative.
    Hyponyms
    * See also
    Hypernyms
    * seasoning
    Coordinate terms
    * herb
    Derived terms
    * allspice * five-spice powder * herbs and spices * spiceberry * spicebush * spicery * spice up * spiciness * spicy * spicy tooth * variety is the spice of life

    Verb

    (spic)
  • To add spice or spices to.
    • Derived terms
    * spice up

    Etymology 2

    Formed by analogy with (mice) as the plural of (mouse) by .

    Noun

    (head)
  • (nonce word)

    • References

    *

    Anagrams

    * English irregular plurals ----

    balm

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Any of various aromatic resins exuded from certain plants, especially trees of the genus Commiphora'' of Africa, Arabia and India and ''Myroxylon of South America.
  • A plant or tree yielding such substance.
  • Any soothing oil or lotion, especially an aromatic one.
    • There is a balm in Gilead.... (Spiritual)
  • (figuratively) Something soothing.
    • Classical music is a sweet balm for our sorrows.
  • Any of various aromatic plants of the genus Melissa , such as lemon balm () or bee balm.

    • Synonyms

    * (aromatic resin) balsam * (plant or tree) balsam * (soothing oil or lotion) balsam * (something soothing) balsam

    Related terms

    * balmy * balsam * embalming

    See also

    * lotion * ointment * unguent

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (archaic) To anoint with balm, or with anything medicinal.
  • (figurative) To soothe; to mitigate.
    • (Shakespeare)

    Anagrams

    * *