spice wood (spiswud)

Same as spice - bush. spiciferous (spi-sif'e-rus), a. [L. spicifer, ear-bearing, Trollope , South Africa, II. vi. Beside my hotel rose a big spick - and - span church. H. James, Jr., Little Tour, p. 178. spick-and-span-new (spik'and-span'nu'), a. [Also spick - span - new ; lit. 'new as a spike and chip': an emphatic form of span - new : see spike1 , spoon1, new , and cf. span - new , spick - span - new . Cf. also the equiv. D. spik - splinter - nieuw , 'spick splinter-new, Dan. splinter -ny, Sw. splitter- ny , 'splinter-new, Sw. dial. till splint och span ny, 'splint-and-span-new, G. spalt - neu , 'splinter new,' etc., E. brand - new , etc. A compound of four independent elements, like this, is very rare in E.; the lit. meaning of the nouns spick and span is not now recognized, but the words spick and span are taken together adverbially, qualifying new , with which they form a compound. By omi ion of new , the phrase spick and-span is sometimes used with an attributive force.] New and fresh; span-new; brand new. 'Tis a fashion of the newest edition, spick and span new, without example. Ford , Lover's Melancholy, ii. 1. Among other Things, Black-Friars will entertain you with a Play spick and span new , and the Cockpit with another. Howell , Letters, I. iv. 2. spickett (spik'et), n. An obsolete form of spigot. spicknel, spignel (spik'nel, spig'nel), n. [Early mod. E. also spicknell, spignell, speknel, spike nel; said to be a corruption of spike - nail, and to be so called in allusion to the shape of its long capillary leaves.] The baldmoney, Meum at ham anti cum; also, any plant of the related genus Athamanta, which has similar graceful finely di ected foliage. spick-span-new (spik's pan-nu'), a. spick - and - span - new. Same as Look at the cloäths on 'er back, thebbe ammost spick -span new. Tennyson, Northern Cobbler.