Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Anise \An"ise\ ([a^]n"[i^]s), n. [OE. anys, F. anis, L. anisum,
   anethum, fr. Gr. 'a`nison, 'a`nhqon.]
   1. (Bot.) An umbelliferous plant ({Pimpinella anisum})
      growing naturally in Egypt, and cultivated in Spain,
      Malta, etc., for its carminative and aromatic seeds.

   2. The fruit or seeds of this plant.

Source : WordNet®

Pimpinella anisum
     n : native to Egypt but cultivated widely for its aromatic seeds
         and the oil from them used medicinally and as a flavoring
         in cookery [syn: {anise}, {anise plant}]