pepper

1 of 3

noun (1)

pep·​per ˈpe-pər How to pronounce pepper (audio)
1
a
: either of two pungent products from the fruit of an Indian plant (Piper nigrum) that are used chiefly as condiments:
(1)
(2)
b
: any of several products similar to pepper that are obtained from plants of the same genus
cubeb pepper
c
: any of various pungent condiments of plants unrelated to the pepper
Szechuan pepper
2
: any of a genus (Piper of the family Piperaceae, the pepper family) of tropical mostly jointed climbing shrubs with aromatic leaves
especially : a woody vine (P. nigrum) with spicate flowers that is widely cultivated in the tropics for its red berries from which black pepper and white pepper are prepared
3
a
: capsicum sense 1
especially : one (Capsicum annuum) whose fruits are hot peppers or sweet peppers
b
: the hollow fruit of a pepper that is usually green when unripe and red or yellow when ripe
pepper adjective

pepper

2 of 3

verb

peppered; peppering ˈpe-p(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce pepper (audio)

transitive verb

1
a
: to sprinkle or season with pepper
b
: to shower with or as if with shot or other missiles
2
: to hit with or as if with rapid repeated blows
3
: to sprinkle or cover as if with pepper
peppered the report with statistics
a face peppered with freckles
pepperer noun

pepper

3 of 3

noun (2)

: a baseball practice or warm-up game in which usually several fielders toss the ball a short distance to a single batter who hits it back

Examples of pepper in a Sentence

Verb You need to pepper the stew more. pepper the costume with flecks of glitter
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Meat lovers will gravitate towards the Big Basin, loaded with sausage, bacon, ham and cheddar cheese, or the Supreme, with skirt steak, gruyere, onion, pepper and mushrooms. Laura Ness, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024 Neely told Craig David Meek that his version, which is modified somewhat from Vincent's recipe, incorporates the extra back flap meat from racks of ribs and is cooked in a pot with peppers, onions, and spices. Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2024 White tights stuffed with socks, tutus and an orange pepper blossomed into Björk’s infamous swan frock from 2001. Max Berlinger, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024 The opening images of the cookbook Code Noir: Afro-Caribbean Stories and Recipes tell an enticing food story of the island region: first, a fistful of Scotch bonnet chiles, the ubiquitous spicy and colorful peppers of the islands. Jessica Carbone, Saveur, 29 Feb. 2024 But then, out of nowhere, the chile peppers will catch you unawares and land a solid uppercut to the kisser. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024 Add the leeks, garlic and onion, and season generously with salt and pepper. Ali Slagle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024 Cover and chill up to 5 days to add to recipes or season with salt and pepper. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Feb. 2024 At the end of just about every stovetop recipe is a key directive that seems to elude some: Taste, and season with more salt and pepper, as desired. Also known as seasoning to taste, this instruction is paramount in recipes, because everyone’s taste buds are different. Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024
Verb
With 34 barrier and tidal islands peppering its shoreline (more than any other state except for Florida), South Carolina spills over with natural wonders, beautiful beaches, and unique destinations to explore. Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 Indeed, Moffat delights in peppering the tale with comedic moments even as Douglas’ life slowly falls apart. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 26 Feb. 2024 So Guillermo started peppering his phone calls home with mentions of Larry. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2024 The stacks of instruments peppered across the apartment were being repaired in an ambitious — and hopefully affordable — effort to concoct fresh sounds for their next record. Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2024 These are your keywords and should be peppered throughout your application, including in your resume summary, work history, and education. Andrew Fennell, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Located on the country’s south coast, the black volcanic sand beach is famous for the thousands of icebergs that travel here from the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon that resembles large diamonds peppered along the seashores. Laura Hampson, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Feb. 2024 Stir salt, sugar, and pepper into milk mixture in saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium-high. Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2024 Needing another third-period comeback to head into the All-Star break in good form, the Ducks peppered San Jose with 15 shots and held a near 2:1 possession advantage in the offensive zone. Josh Gross, Orange County Register, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pepper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English peper, from Old English pipor, from Latin piper, from Greek peperi

Noun (2)

probably from pep entry 2 + -er entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1943, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pepper was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near pepper

Cite this Entry

“Pepper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pepper. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pepper

1 of 2 noun
pep·​per ˈpep-ər How to pronounce pepper (audio)
1
: either of two sharp-tasting products from the fruit of an Indian plant used especially as a seasoning
2
: a woody vine with rounded leaves and flowers arranged in a spike that is widely cultivated in the tropics for its red berries from which pepper is prepared
3
: any of several products similar to pepper that are obtained from close relatives of the pepper
4
a
: any of a genus of tropical American herbs and shrubs of the nightshade family widely cultivated for their many-seeded fruits that usually have fleshy walls
especially : one whose fruits are hot peppers or sweet peppers
b
: the fruit of a pepper that is usually green when unripe and yellow or red when ripe
pepper adjective

pepper

2 of 2 verb
peppered; peppering ˈpep-(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce pepper (audio)
1
: to sprinkle, cover, or season with or as if with pepper
pepper the stew
a face peppered with freckles
2
: to hit with a shower of blows or objects

Medical Definition

pepper

noun
pep·​per ˈpep-ər How to pronounce pepper (audio)
1
a
: a woody Indian vine of the genus Piper (P. nigrum) that is widely cultivated in the tropics for its red berries from which black pepper and white pepper are prepared
b(1)
(2)
2

More from Merriam-Webster on pepper

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