Definition

Noun 1. An aromatic plant: A flowering plant species native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia, cultivated for its seeds and the essential oil derived from them. 2. A source of flavoring: The plant whose small, dry, oval seeds (aniseed) and their oil are used for their distinctive sweet, licorice-like flavor in cooking, baking, and liquor production.

Usage

• The primary use of is as a culinary and medicinal herb.
• It is typically referred to by its common name, anise, in everyday contexts. The scientific name is used in botanical, scientific, or formal commercial contexts.

Examples

• Botanical Context: " belongs to the Apiaceae family, which also includes carrots and parsley."
• Culinary Context: "The recipe calls for a teaspoon of ground seeds from ."
• Commercial/Formal Context: "This liqueur is flavored with the essential oil of ."

Advanced Usage

• In Pharmacognosy: In the study of medicinal drugs derived from plants, is cited for its carminative and antispasmodic properties.
• In Taxonomy: The binomial nomenclature precisely identifies this species within the genus .

Variants and Related Words

• Anise (n.): The common name for .
• Aniseed (n.): The seed-like fruit (schizocarp) of the plant, used as a spice.
• Anise Oil / Aniseed Oil (n.): The volatile essential oil steam-distilled from the crushed seeds of .

Synonyms

• Anise
• Anise plant

Notes on Different Meanings

• Do not confuse (anise) with Illicium verum (star anise). They are botanically unrelated plants that share a similar flavor compound (anethole). is a herbaceous plant, while star anise is an evergreen tree.

Noun

1. native to Egypt but cultivated widely for its aromatic seeds and the oil from them used medicinally and as a flavoring in cookery