pepper [pep-er] ExamplesWord Origin See more synonyms for pepper on Thesaurus.com noun
- a pungent condiment obtained from various plants of the genus Piper, especially from the dried berries, used whole or ground, of the tropical climbing shrub P. nigrum.
- any plant of the genus Piper.Compare pepper family.
- any of several plants of the genus Capsicum, especially C. annuum, cultivated in many varieties, or C. frutescens.
- the usually green or red fruit of any of these plants, ranging from mild to very pungent in flavor.
- the pungent seeds of several varieties of C. annuum or C. frutescens, used ground or whole as a condiment.
- Baseball. pepper game.
verb (used with object)
- to season with or as if with pepper.
- to sprinkle or cover, as if with pepper; dot.
- to sprinkle like pepper.
- to hit with rapidly repeated short jabs.
- to pelt with or as if with shot or missiles: They peppered the speaker with hard questions.
- to discharge (shot or missiles) at something.
Origin of pepper before 1000; Middle English peper, piper, Old English pipor (> Old Norse pipari, piparr) Latin piper Greek péperi; compare Old Frisian piper, Dutch peper, Old High German pfeffar (German Pfeffer); these and Old English pipor perhaps West Germanic borrowing LatinRelated formspep·per·er, nounpep·per·ish, adjectivepep·per·ish·ly, adverbun·pep·pered, adjective Related Words for pepper gravy, condiment, salt, dressing, sauce, spice, pepper, herb, seasoning, relish, mustard, ketchup, horseradish, salsa, vigor, eagerness, zest, ardor, ebullience, vitality Examples from the Web for pepper Contemporary Examples of pepper
Whisk in the half and half and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Make Carla Hall’s Crispy Shallot Green Bean Casserole
Carla Hall
December 27, 2014
Rub the loin with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Make Carla Hall’s Roasted Pork Loin With Cranberries
Carla Hall
December 24, 2014
Brush the pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with fleur de sel and pepper.
Make These Barefoot Contessa Chicken Pot Pies
Ina Garten
November 29, 2014
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, place on a sheet pan, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Make These Barefoot Contessa Chicken Pot Pies
Ina Garten
November 29, 2014
Although some groups, through the thick fog of tear gas, pepper spray and smoke that hung over the city, still lingered.
Frat Culture Clashes With Riot Police at Keene, N.H., Pumpkin Festival
Melanie Plenda
October 19, 2014
Historical Examples of pepper
Season with the salt and pepper, heat thoroughly, and serve.
Woman’s Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 3
Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
Add the milk, butter, salt, and pepper and return the clams.
Woman’s Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 3
Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
Pour in the heated liquid and season with the salt and pepper.
Woman’s Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 2
Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
Remove from the broiler, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Woman’s Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 3
Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
Season with salt, pepper, and the juice of the lemon or the vinegar.
Woman’s Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 3
Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
British Dictionary definitions for pepper pepper noun
- a woody climbing plant, Piper nigrum, of the East Indies, having small black berry-like fruits: family Piperaceae
- the dried fruit of this plant, which is ground to produce a sharp hot condimentSee also black pepper, white pepper
- any of various other plants of the genus PiperSee cubeb, betel, kava
- Also called: capsicum any of various tropical plants of the solanaceous genus Capsicum, esp C. frutescens, the fruits of which are used as a vegetable and a condimentSee also bird pepper, sweet pepper, red pepper, cayenne pepper
- the fruit of any of these capsicums, which has a mild or pungent taste
- the condiment made from the fruits of any of these plants
- any of various similar but unrelated plants, such as water pepper
verb (tr)
- to season with pepper
- to sprinkle liberally; dothis prose was peppered with alliteration
- to pelt with small missiles
Word Origin for pepper Old English piper, from Latin, from Greek peperi; compare French poivre, Old Norse piparr Word Origin and History for pepper n.
Old English pipor, from an early West Germanic borrowing of Latin piper “pepper,” from Greek piperi, probably (via Persian) from Middle Indic pippari, from Sanskrit pippali “long pepper.” The Latin word is the source of German Pfeffer, Italian pepe, French poivre, Old Church Slavonic pipru, Lithuanian pipiras, Old Irish piobhar, Welsh pybyr, etc. Application to fruits of the capsicum family (unrelated, originally native of tropical America) is 16c.
v.
“to sprinkle as with pepper,” 1610s, from pepper (n.). Old English had gepipera. Meaning “to pelt with shot, etc.” is from 1640s. Related: Peppered; peppering.