star anise
1
4.3
- noun
- /ˈstɑr ˈænɪs/
:
anís estrellado
- In traditional medicine, star anise is sometimes used to aid digestion.
- star anise and cinnamon
- star anise and cloves
- star anise and ginger
Examples
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Star anise gives a distinct taste to drinks like mulled wine and herbal teas.
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She bought dried star anise at the Asian grocery store to make mulled wine.
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The recipe calls for one whole star anise to enhance the flavor of the broth.
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I love adding star anise to my soups.
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The recipe calls for two star anises.
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The recipe calls for star anise to enhance the flavor of the dish.
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You can find star anise in many Asian recipes, adding a warm and aromatic flavor.
Synonyms
A star-shaped spice pod with a strong sweet smell used in cooking
A spice shaped like a star with a sweet licorice smell used in Asian cooking and traditional medicine
A small tree from China and Vietnam with star-shaped fruit that smell of anise and are used as a spice
How Strong
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound directly combines 'star' (indicating a star-like shape) with 'anise' (the spice), so the meaning 'a star-shaped spice similar to anise' is transparently derivable from its parts. This noun–noun composition is a regular, cross-linguistic naming pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would very likely infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Star anise for the spice is named after the dried fruit that looks like a star and tastes like anise, so the name tells you what the 'spice' looks like and how it tastes.