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Glite Dictionary
Mentha spicata

Mentha spicata

5.2
A mint plant with pointed leaves and a fresh, sweet smell used to flavor food
  • noun
  • /ˈmɛnθə spɪˈkeɪtə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : menta verde
  • The essential oil extracted from Mentha spicata is widely used to flavor gum and toothpaste.

Examples

  • Mentha spicata is often planted in home gardens for its fragrant leaves and culinary uses.

  • Botanists can distinguish Mentha spicata from other mints by its pointed, lance-shaped leaves.

  • I love the flavor of Mentha spicata in my tea.

  • The garden is filled with Mentha spicata and other herbs.

  • Mentha spicata is a popular choice for adding flavor to dishes and drinks due to its refreshing taste.

  • Many people grow Mentha spicata in their gardens because it attracts beneficial insects and repels pests.

  • I enjoy using fresh leaves of Mentha spicata to garnish my dishes, as they add a lovely aroma.

Synonyms

spearmint
vsMentha spicata
5 2.4

A garden herb with fresh minty leaves used in food and tea

is the scientific species name for the same garden herb

Surface Forms

Mentha spicata singular
Mentha spicatas plural

Morphology

Mentha + spicata

This is a botanical Latin binomial made from the genus name Mentha (mint) and the specific epithet spicata, so the meaning 'a species/type of mint' is directly compositional: genus + species. Although 'spicata' is not a common English word, the binomial pattern signals a subtype rather than an idiomatic reading, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would understand it denotes a kind of mint (even if they might not know the common name 'spearmint').

Etymology

Mentha spicata is a Latin name that describes how the plant looks: Mentha means 'mint' and spicata comes from a word for 'spike', because the flowers grow in small pointed clusters on the stem. So the name simply tells us this is the mint we call 'spearmint' today.