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cicely

cicely

9.8
A herb with sweet-smelling leaves used to flavor food
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪsəli/
translation icon : cicely
  • The cicely plant has a lovely aroma.
  • sweet cicely

Examples

  • You can use fresh cicely leaves for seasoning dishes that require a hint of sweetness.

  • Sweet cicely adds a delightful anise flavor to fruit salads and herbal teas.

  • She added fresh cicely to the salad for a hint of anise flavor.

  • The chef garnished the dish with chopped cicely to enhance its aroma.

  • In spring, the garden was filled with the sweet scent of blooming cicely.

  • I love adding cicely to my salads.

  • In my garden, cicely grows alongside other herbs, giving off a pleasant aroma when touched.

Synonyms

Myrrhis odorata
vscicely
  • Specialized
9.9

A herb from Europe with sweet-smelling leaves like ferns and white flowers

is the everyday common name used for cooking and flavoring
sweet cicely
vscicely
  • UK
9.9

A European garden herb with fern-like leaves, white flowers and a sweet aniseed taste

is known for a sweet smell and used broadly as a cooking herb
cecily
vscicely
9.5

A plant with sweet-smelling leaves used in cooking and herbal medicine

is used mainly for cooking rather than as a medicinal remedy

Compounds

A fragrant resin burned as incense and used in perfume

9.9

A European garden herb with fern-like leaves, white flowers and a sweet aniseed taste

Surface Forms

cicely singular
cicelys plural

Etymology

Cicely is the name of a sweet-smelling herb often called sweet cicely. A helpful way to remember it is to think of the word 'sweet' — the plant has a 'sweet' and 'anise-like' flavor and aroma, which is why cooks use it to add a gentle sweetness to food.