spicy

• spicey

From spic(e) + -y. First attested in the 16th century.

• IPA^(key): /ˈspaɪsi/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪsi

spicy (comparative spicier, superlative spiciest)

1. Of, pertaining to, or containing spice.

   He prepared a spicy casserole.

2. Of a flavor, provoking a burning sensation due to the presence of capsaicin or a similar chemical.

   This curry is too spicy for me. I can't eat it.

   • 2015 August 31, Jiyeon Lee, Sol Han, “7 super spicy South Korean dishes – and tips for eating them”, in CNN‎^[1], archived from the original on 23 April 2019:

     This place is actually known for serving the Donkatsu of Death, aka the Drop-Dead Donkatsu, by far the spiciest dish I’ve ever endured.

   • 2021 September 17, Noelle Ike, “Truff’s new white truffle hot sauce is even hotter, and perfect for amping up mealtime”, in CNN‎^[2], archived from the original on 29 August 2022:

     That’s why we knew we had to get our hands on Truff’s latest launch: White Hotter. It’s an even spicier take on the fan-favorite (and perhaps our favorite), White Truffle Hot Sauce.

   • 2024 June 2, Parija Kavilanz, “‘Swicy’ is the hottest trend in food right now”, in CNN Business‎^[3], archived from the original on 4 June 2024:

     “I think we are going to see a lot more of this,” said Lyons Wyatt. “There is a push now and we do see both unit and dollar growth of spicy and swicy products.”

3. Of a food, flavor, or odor, tangy, zesty, or pungent.

   She breathed in the strong, spicy aroma.

   • 1769, Firishta, translated by Alexander Dow, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi, volume I, Dublin: P. and W. Wilson et al., page iv:

     The breath of the mountain heifer was fragrant as the gales of Sirendiep, by feeding on ſpicy herbs.

4. Of an expression or behavior, vigorous; colorful; stimulating.

   He is known for his spicy political commentary.

5. (informal, idiomatic) Scandalous.
   • 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:

     When one side or the other had written any particularly spicy dispatch, news of it was sure to slip out.

7. (Internet slang) Risky; mildly aggressive or dangerous.

   Look at the little wildcub! That's one spicy ball of fur.

8. (Internet slang) Risqué, sexy, racy; mildly pornographic.

   I don't want my children to see the spicy images on this web site.

• (provoking a burning sensation): hot, spicy-hot, piquant

• Noah Webster (1828), “spicy”, in An American Dictionary of the English Language: […], volume II (J–Z), New York, N.Y.: […] S. Converse; printed by Hezekiah Howe […], →OCLC.
• “spicy”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• "spicy" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (Cambridge University Press, 2007)
• “spicy”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• Oxford English Dictionary, second edition (1989)
• Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary (1987-1996)

• Piscy

• IPA^(key): /ˈspʲi.t͡sɨ/
• Rhymes: -it͡sɨ
• Syllabification: spi‧cy

spicy

1. sleeping, asleep
2. dormant (e.g. of a volcano)

spicy

1. past active participle of spaś

• spijucy

• Muka, Arnošt (1921, 1928), “spicy”, in Słownik dolnoserbskeje rěcy a jeje narěcow (in German), St. Petersburg, Prague: ОРЯС РАН, ČAVU; Reprinted Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag, 2008
• Starosta, Manfred (1999), “spicy”, in Dolnoserbsko-nimski słownik / Niedersorbisch-deutsches Wörterbuch (in German), Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag