seasoning

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

• noun Something, such as a spice or herb, used to flavor food.
• noun The act or process by which something is seasoned.

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun In leather manufacturing, the application of a solution of blood and logwood preparatory to blacking.
• noun The act by which anything is seasoned.
• noun That which is added to any species of food to give it a higher relish, usually something pungent or aromatic, as salt, spices, etc.
• noun Something added or mixed to enhance pleasure or enjoyment, or give spice and relish: as, wit or humor serves as a seasoning to eloquence.
• noun In diamond-cutting, the charging of the laps or wheels with diamond-dust and oil.

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

• noun The act or process by which anything is seasoned.
• noun That which is added to any species of food, to give it a higher relish, as salt, spices, etc.; a condiment.
• noun Hence, something added to enhance enjoyment or relieve dullness.
• noun (Bakery) a trough in which dough is set to rise.

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

• noun cooking Something used to add taste or flavour to food, such as a condiment, herb or spice.
• noun A coat of burnt soot inside a cooking vessel, which has formed over repeated use, and which renders the surface non sticking.
• verb Present participle of season.

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

• noun something added to food primarily for the savor it imparts
• noun the act of adding a seasoning to food