spicery
(ˈspaɪsərɪ)
Forms: 3–7 spicerie (4 -eri, 5 -ere, 6 -eree), 3– spicery (4–5 -erye); 4–6 spycerie (5 -irie, 6 -arie), spy(e)cery(e; 4 spisorie, 5 spysory(e, spiserie.
[ad. OF. espicerie (mod.F. épicerie), f. espice spice n. Cf. OF. especerie (= Sp. especeria, It. spezeria) specery, which is also the source of MDu. spec-, speserie (Du. specerij), MLG. specerie (spisserie), MHG. specierie, spezerie (G. spezerei).]
1. collect. or in pl. Spices.
| sing. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 3162 He..Nom wiþ him spicerie þat to fysike drou. 13.. Sir Beues 3188 Wiþ pyment and wiþ spisorie. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. I. 89 For Goddis lawe savouriþ wele whan it is defoulid, as spicerye ȝyveþ smell whan it is powned. c 1420 Liber Cocorum (1862) 42 Fore pore menne þys crafte is tolde Þat mowon not have spysory, as þay wolde. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xi. ii. 573 There with alle there was suche a sauour as alle the spyecery of the world had ben there. 1567 Drant Horace, Ep. ii. i. H j, Wher francke incence is soulde And what soeuer spycerie in waste paper is roulde. 1593 Roydon in Spenser's Astrophel S.'s Wks. 1910 I. 358 The Phœnix..Built vp her tombe of spicerie. 1652 Earl of Monmouth tr. Bentivoglio's Hist. Relat. 14 Having brought by many Voyages an inestimable Treasure of Spicery into Holland. 1689 Burnet Tracts I. 96 It tasted high of Spicery, though she assured me there was not one grain of Spice in it. 1776 Mickle tr. Camoens' Lusiad 464 The richest gust of spicery's fragrant fire. 1819 Crabbe T. of Hall xxi. 169 And the good ladies whom at church he saw,..Could,..whispering, deal for spicery and lace. 1847 H. Miller First Impr. Eng. v. (1857) 69 Several glasses of Sampson, a palatable Dudley beverage, compounded of eggs, milk and spicery. 1877 Morris Jason xi. 361 While on the veined pavement lie The honied things and spicery. |
| pl. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) vii. 26 Sum distilles gariofles, spikenarde, and oþer spiceries. 1527 R. Thorne in Hakluyt (1589) 254 Many Islandes which be Islandes of the Spiceries of the Emperor. 1591 Savile Tacitus Annot. 2, Windowes & doores..wherein the herse was placed, and all kinde of spiceries and odours..heaped therein. 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. i. 71 There is a mighty heape of the said spiceries gotten together. 1630 R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 552 All sorts of Trees, wilde Beasts, and Spiceries. 1777 Robertson Hist. Amer. i. (1778) I. 34 He traded in many of the islands from which Europe had long received spiceries and other commodities. 1834 H. Miller Scenes & Leg. xvii. (1857) 258 He supplied the proprietors with teas, wines, and spiceries. 1893 A. H. Sayce Higher Crit. (1894) 133 Dedan was the leading tribe..which carried the spiceries of the southern coast to the populations of Palestine. |
b. fig. in various applications.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. ix. 100 (Trin. Coll. Cambr. MS.), And siththe to spille speche That spicerie [v.r. spyre] is of grace. 1576 Gascoigne Steel Glas Ep. Ded., Wks. 1910 II. 135 Were not the cordial of these two pretious Spiceries, the corrosyve of care woulde quickely confounde me. 1594 Nashe Unfort. Trav. Wks. (Grosart) V. 62 Arabian spiceries of sweete passions and praises. 1652 Benlowes Theoph. iv. xcvii, All virtues fir'd in her pure breast their spicery. 1679 J. Goodman Penit. Pard. i. iv. (1713) 123 The name of the wicked shall rot, in despite of all the spicery of flatterers and parasites. 1828 Landor Imag. Conv. Wks. 1853 I. 340/2 After his hot and stimulating spicery, we now are running to..sager poets. a 1881 Ripley in Frothingham Rec. & Impr. 266 The affluence of his [Emerson's] illustrations diffuses a flavor of oriental spicery over his pages. |
2. † a. A spice-shop or spice-store, or a set of these; a source or supply of spices.
Obs.| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 11224 Þe bowiares ssoppe hii breke,..& suþþe þe spicerie Hii breke fram ende to oþer, & dude al to robberie. 1527 R. Thorne in Hakluyt (1589) 254 A head land called Malaca, where is the principal spicery. |
b. The department of the royal household connected with the keeping of spices;
esp. in
Clerk of the Spicery. Now only
Hist.| 1418–9 in Cal. Proc. Chanc. Q. Eliz. (1827) I. Introd. 16 Roger Wodehill,..som tyme clerc of ȝoure faders Spicerie. 1513 Bk. Keruynge in Babees Bk. (1868) 272 Speke with the panter and offycers of y⊇ spycery for fruytes that shall be eten fastynge. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII, 58 The kyng sent William Blacknall esquyer, Clerck of hys Spycery, with silver vessell, plate and other thynges. 1601 F. Tate Househ. Ord. Edw. II, § 11 (1876) 11 Al thinges touching th' office of the spicerie. Ibid. §17. 14 Two towels of the clarke of the spicery. 1654 H. L'Estrange Chas. I (1655) 63 They..divested him of his place in the spicery. 1707 Chamberlayne Pres. St. Gt. Brit. (1710) 535 Her Majesty's Houshold Officers and Servants... Spicery: Richard D'Avenant, Esq., Clerk. 1780 Burke Corr. (1844) II. 327, I propose..to abolish..all the offices of the kitchen, cellar, spicery, &c. |
c. A room or part of a house set apart for the keeping of spices. Now only
Hist.| 1536 MS. Rawl. D. 780 fol. 57 b, A new key for the stew howse Dore in the spycery. 1605 R. Armin Foole upon F. (1880) 10 The Pie was drawne,..but wanting Suger, stept aside to the spicerie to fetch it. 1705 Addison Italy, Pesaro 148 The Spicery, the Cellar and its Furniture,..are too well known to need a Description. 1883 Eng. Illustr. Mag. Nov. 81 Kitchens, cellars, pastries, spiceries,..and the like. |
| fig. 1638 R. Brathwait (title), A Spiritual Spicerie, containing sundrie sweet Tractates of Devotion and Piety. |