spearmint

IPA/ˈspɪəmɪnt/
IPA/ˈspɪrmɪnt/

spearmint — noun

1. a sweet-tasting kind of mint, or the cool flavour taken from this plant and used

1.nounB2
Definition

a sweet-tasting kind of mint, or the cool flavour taken from this plant and used in foods and products such as gum or toothpaste

Example

Jiwoo planted spearmint by the kitchen door for summer tea.

countable plant use: grow spearmint for tea

The gum's spearmint flavor made Karim's breath feel cool.

compound: spearmint flavor

Common collocations
  • fresh spearmint
  • spearmint tea
  • spearmint gum
  • spearmint toothpaste
  • spearmint leaves
Synonyms
  • mint

    broader everyday word that can refer to several mint plants or flavours, not this specific sweeter kind

  • peppermint

    a related mint with a sharper, colder taste than spearmint

Usage Note

When it means the plant, spearmint can be countable in gardening contexts. When it means the flavour, it is usually uncountable, especially before product names such as spearmint gum or spearmint toothpaste.

Common Mistakes

I bought two spearmints for the tea.
I bought some spearmint for the tea.' / 'I bought two spearmint plants for the garden.
for the herb or flavour, spearmint is usually uncountable; count it only when you mean separate plants.

Word family

  • mint
    nounB1
  • minty
    adjectiveB2
  • peppermint
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Spearmint and peppermint are both mint plants, but spearmint usually tastes sweeter and softer, while peppermint feels colder and stronger. Mint is the broad everyday word people use when they do not need to name the exact type, so it can mean spearmint, peppermint, or another similar plant. Menthol is different again: it is the cooling substance found in mint oils, and it can also be made for products such as medicine or sweets. In daily use, you are most likely to see spearmint in tea, gum, toothpaste, and garden herbs. If a package says spearmint gum, expect a gentler flavour than peppermint gum.

spearmint ↗peppermintmint ↗menthol

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • spearmint flavor
  • spearmint tea
  • fresh spearmint leaves

Etymology

Old EnglishLatinEnglish

Spearmint is a modern English compound. The first part, spear, refers to the plant's narrow pointed leaves. The second part, mint, comes through Old English from Latin names for mint plants. English later joined the two words to name this sweeter variety and to distinguish it from other mints, especially peppermint.

First known use

1562

1562, in the meaning defined above