2. a thorny tree or shrub, as the hawthorne. 3. the wood of such a plant. 4. a runic character (Ã¾), borrowed into the Latin alphabet and used to represent the initial th sounds of thin and they in Old English and of thin in modern Icelandic.sage It hardly makes a difference whether you get pricked by a thorn or a spineâit hurts just the same. But a person who studies plants might think there was a difference. Scientifically speaking, a thorn is a hard, pointed part of a stem or branch of a woody plant.
Anise oil is derived from the seeds and sometimes from the leaves. The oil, composed chiefly of anethole, is used in medicinals, dentifrices, perfumes, beverages, and, in drag hunting, to scent a trail for dogs in the absence of a fox. The anise of the Bible (Mat. 23.23) is dill, a plant of the same family.
A star-shaped, dark brown pod that contains a pea-size seed in each of its eight segments. Native to China, star anise comes from a small evergreen tree. It's flavor is slightly more bitter than that of regular anise seed.Asian cooks use star anise to give a licorice flavor to savory dishes, particularly those with pork and poultry. It's available whole or ground and is an ingredient in Chinese five-spice powder.Use it sparingly--a little goes a long way.Season: available year-round.sian cooks use star anise to give a licorice flavor to savory dishes, particularly those with pork and poultry. It's available whole or ground and is an ingredient in Chinese five-spice powder. Use it sparingly--a little goes a long way. Season: available year-round.