Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Licorice
Lic′o-rice
(lĭk′ō̍-rĭs)
, Noun.
[OE.
licoris
, through old French, fr. L. liquiritia
, corrupted fr. glycyrrhiza
, Gr. γλυκύρριζα
; γλυκύσ
sweet + ῥίζα
root. Cf. Glycerin
, Glycyrrhiza
, Wort
.] [Written also
liquorice
.] 1.
(Bot.)
A plant of the genus
Glycyrrhiza
(Glycyrrhiza glabra
), the root of which abounds with a sweet juice, and is much used in demulcent compositions. 2.
The inspissated juice of licorice root, used as a confection and for medicinal purposes.
Licorice fern
(Bot.)
, a name of several kinds of polypody which have rootstocks of a sweetish flavor.
– Licorice sugar
. (Chem.)
See
– Glycyrrhizin
. Licorice weed
(Bot.)
, the tropical plant
– Scapania dulcis
. Mountain licorice
(Bot.)
, a kind of clover (
– Trifolium alpinum
), found in the Alps. It has large purplish flowers and a sweetish perennial rootstock. Wild licorice
. (Bot.)
(a)
The North American perennial herb
Glycyrrhiza lepidota
. (b)
Certain broad-leaved cleavers (
Galium circæzans
and Galium lanceolatum
). (c)
The leguminous climber
Abrus precatorius
, whose scarlet and black seeds are called black-eyed Susans
. Its roots are used as a substitute for those of true licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra
).Webster 1828 Edition
Licorice
LIC'ORICE
,Noun.
A plant of the genus Glycyrrhiza. The root of this plant abounds with a sweet balsamic juice, much used in pectoral compositions.