star anise
noun
Also called Chinese anise.
a shrub or small tree, Illicium verum, of China, having white flowers that turn purple and bearing anise-scented, star-shaped clusters of carminative fruit.
the fruit of this tree or shrub, used as a spice.
Origin of star anise
First recorded in 1830–40
Words nearby star anise
staple,
staple gun,
stapler,
stapling,
star,
star anise,
star apple,
star carr,
star chamber,
star chart,
star cloud
Example sentences from the Web for star anise
Magnified section through the thickness of a leaf of Florida Star-Anise.
The Elements of Botany |Asa GrayThe capsule assumes a screw-like form in Helicteres, and a star-like form in star-anise (Illicium anisatum).
British Dictionary definitions for star anise
star anise
noun
a small Chinese evergreen tree (Illicium verum) yielding an aromatic oil
a spice produced from the star-shaped dried seed pods of this tree