star anise
noun
: the small brown star-shaped pungent fruit of a Chinese and Vietnamese tree (Illicium verum) that has a flavor similar to but stronger than anise and is dried and used whole or ground as a spice especially in Chinese cooking
Examples of star anise in a Sentence
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Wang’s mother began to get creative, substituting American items to whip up the modernized Chinese cuisine that Wang and his sister, Lulu, ate through their childhood: dishes like a kind of beef Bourguignon with Sichuan peppercorn and star anise.
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Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2025
Garnish with citrus wheels and star anise for a picture-worthy beverage.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 22 Apr. 2025
Garnish each glass with a cinnamon stick and star anise.
—The View, ABC News, 27 Nov. 2024
The apple pie — famously praised by Gordon Ramsay — has a Vietnamese twist with star anise, ginger and lemongrass.
—Shafaq Patel, Axios, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for star anise
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Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2025
Garnish with citrus wheels and star anise for a picture-worthy beverage.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 22 Apr. 2025
Garnish each glass with a cinnamon stick and star anise.
—The View, ABC News, 27 Nov. 2024
The apple pie — famously praised by Gordon Ramsay — has a Vietnamese twist with star anise, ginger and lemongrass.
—Shafaq Patel, Axios, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for star anise
Cite this Entry
“Star anise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/star%20anise. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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