Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A Mediterranean perennial plant (Glycyrrhiza glabra) of the pea family, having blue flowers, pinnately compound leaves, and a sweet, distinctively flavored root.
  • noun The root of this plant, used as a flavoring in candy, liqueurs, tobacco, and medicines.
  • noun Any of various similar plants.
  • noun A confection made from or flavored with the licorice root.
  • noun A chewy confection made from sugar and corn syrup with the addition of various flavorings, often manufactured in long flexible tubes.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A leguminous plant, Glycyrrhiza glabra, whose root yields the licorice of commerce.
  • noun An economic product, either the root of this plant or an extract from it.
  • noun The plant also called rest-harrow, Ononis arvensis. Its root is used by children in place of licorice.
  • noun In America, a member of the true licorice genus, Glycyrrhiza lepidota, found chiefly far north-west; also, Galium circæzans and G. lanceolatum, on account of a sweetish root.
  • noun In Australia, Teucrium corymbosum, a sort of germander.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (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.
  • noun The inspissated juice of licorice root, used as a confection and for medicinal purposes.
  • noun (Bot.) a name of several kinds of polypody which have rootstocks of a sweetish flavor.
  • noun (Chem.) See Glycyrrhizin.
  • noun (Bot.) the tropical plant Scapania dulcis.
  • noun (Bot.) a kind of clover (Trifolium alpinum), found in the Alps. It has large purplish flowers and a sweetish perennial rootstock.
  • noun (Bot.) 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).

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The plant Glycyrrhiza glabra, or sometimes in North America the related American Licorice plant Glycyrrhiza lepidota.
  • noun A type of candy made from that plant's dried root or its extract.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a black candy flavored with the dried root of the licorice plant
  • noun deep-rooted coarse-textured plant native to the Mediterranean region having blue flowers and pinnately compound leaves; widely cultivated in Europe for its long thick sweet roots

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English licoris, from Old French, from Late Latin liquirītia, alteration (influenced by Latin liquēre, to flow) of Latin glycyrrhiza, root of licorice, from Greek glukurrhiza : glukus, sweet + rhiza, root; see wrād- in Indo-European roots.]

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Examples

  • I suppose they were playing off of the licorice wheel candies that sort of looked like records, and I do believe I've heard the term licorice pizza as a reference to records, but still this sticker is just plain silly.

    Branded in the 80s! 2010

  • I suppose they were playing off of the licorice wheel candies that sort of looked like records, and I do believe I've heard the term licorice pizza as a reference to records, but still this sticker is just plain silly.

    Branded in the 80s! 2010

  • I suppose they were playing off of the licorice wheel candies that sort of looked like records, and I do believe I've heard the term licorice pizza as a reference to records, but still this sticker is just plain silly.

    Branded in the 80s! 2010

  • I suppose they were playing off of the licorice wheel candies that sort of looked like records, and I do believe I've heard the term licorice pizza as a reference to records, but still this sticker is just plain silly.

    Branded in the 80s! 2009

  • I suppose they were playing off of the licorice wheel candies that sort of looked like records, and I do believe I've heard the term licorice pizza as a reference to records, but still this sticker is just plain silly.

    Branded in the 80s! 2009

  • I suppose they were playing off of the licorice wheel candies that sort of looked like records, and I do believe I've heard the term licorice pizza as a reference to records, but still this sticker is just plain silly.

    Branded in the 80s! 2009

  • I suppose they were playing off of the licorice wheel candies that sort of looked like records, and I do believe I've heard the term licorice pizza as a reference to records, but still this sticker is just plain silly.

    Branded in the 80s! 2009

  • I suppose they were playing off of the licorice wheel candies that sort of looked like records, and I do believe I've heard the term licorice pizza as a reference to records, but still this sticker is just plain silly.

    Branded in the 80s! 2009

  • I suppose they were playing off of the licorice wheel candies that sort of looked like records, and I do believe I've heard the term licorice pizza as a reference to records, but still this sticker is just plain silly.

    Branded in the 80s! 2009

  • I suppose they were playing off of the licorice wheel candies that sort of looked like records, and I do believe I've heard the term licorice pizza as a reference to records, but still this sticker is just plain silly.

    Branded in the 80s! 2009

Comments

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  • National Licorice Day: April 12.

    November 8, 2007

  • I like to lick licorice.

    November 9, 2007

  • Lick licorice? I have to try that.

    March 2, 2008

  • One of Amahl's (of Amahl and the Night Visitors) favorite things.

    March 2, 2008

  • black, kind of sweets, sometimes salty

    May 27, 2009

  • I like eating this.

    October 24, 2012