liquorice

[ lik-uh-rish, lik-rish, lik-er-is ]

noun

, Chiefly British.

1. a variant of licorice.

liquorice

/ -ərɪʃ; ˈlɪkərɪs /

noun

1. a perennial Mediterranean leguminous shrub, Glycyrrhiza glabra, having spikes of pale blue flowers and flat red-brown pods
2. the dried root of this plant, used as a laxative and in confectionery
3. a sweet having a liquorice flavour

Word History and Origins

Origin of liquorice¹

C13: via Anglo-Norman and Old French from Late Latin liquirītia, from Latin glycyrrhīza, from Greek glukurrhiza, from glukus sweet + rhiza root

Example Sentences

He refused to comment to the PA news agency, saying he was busy eating a liquorice sweet.

From BBC

In the study, 28 women and men aged 18-30 were instructed to eat liquorice, or a control product that did not contain any liquorice, over two periods of time.

From Science Daily

When the participants ate liquorice, their blood pressure increased by an average of 3.1 mmHg.

From Science Daily

The quarter of the study participants who were most sensitive, based on their levels of the hormones renin and aldosterone decreasing the most after eating liquorice, also gained slightly in weight, most likely due to an increased amount of fluid in the body.

From Science Daily

It is known that large amounts of liquorice cause high blood pressure.

From Science Daily