paprika

noun

pa·​pri·​ka pə-ˈprē-kə 

pa-

: a usually mild red seasoning consisting of the dried finely ground pods of various sweet peppers

also : a sweet pepper used for making paprika

Examples of paprika in a Sentence

tomato sauce made with garlic, paprika, and pepper

Recent Examples on the Web

Try it with any interesting spice blend in your pantry, or whip up a batch of this all-purpose mix, made with salt and pepper, plus garlic and onion powders, paprika, and celery seeds. — Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 26 June 2026

Season with salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, sumac, Aleppo pepper, and cumin, and mix until well incorporated. — Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 26 June 2026

Smoked paprika, six cloves of garlic, fresh mint, and lemon juice create a smoky, citrusy, bright flavor combo that steers ordinary chicken breast into decidedly unexpected territory. — Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 June 2026

Fritas are pancaked on the plancha with cumin and paprika, sprinkled with tiny potato strings and diced onions on a Cuban roll. — Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 10 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Hungarian, from Serbian & Croatian, from papar ground pepper, ultimately from Latin piper — more at pepper

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for paprika

• arnica
• carica
• rebekah
• turcica
• chica

Kids Definition

paprika

noun

pa·​pri·​ka pə-ˈprē-kə 

pa-

: a mild red spice consisting of the dried finely ground fruit of various cultivated sweet peppers