pepperoni

noun

pep·​per·​o·​ni ˌpe-pə-ˈrō-nē How to pronounce pepperoni (audio)
: a highly seasoned beef and pork sausage

Examples of pepperoni in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The dogs at Romeo’s are from Brooklyn Hot Dog Company, and this one was a pure pepperoni hotdog. Kaitlyn Rosati, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2025 Its 16-inch pizza options include: the Pendleton Heights hot pepperoni (mozzarella, red sauce, fresh basil and olive oil) for $22 and the Northeast supreme (mozzarella, red sauce, pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, bell peppers and roasted onion) for $24. Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 22 Feb. 2025 Olive Garden Classic Caesar Dressing: This bottled dressing had a sweet-savory twang with notes of celery seed that reminded us more of a slaw dressing than Caesar. Wish-Bone Creamy Caesar Dressing: Tasters detected a meaty flavor, almost like pepperoni. Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 13 Feb. 2025 That survey also found each state's favorite pizza, with most opting for pepperoni, a mix of meat and vegetables, and the meat lover's pizza. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 9 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pepperoni

Word History

Etymology

Italian peperoni cayenne peppers, plural of peperone, augmentative of pepe pepper, from Latin piper — more at pepper

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pepperoni was in 1888

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pepperoni.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pepperoni. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

pepperoni

noun
pep·​per·​o·​ni ˌpep-ə-ˈrō-nē How to pronounce pepperoni (audio)
: a highly seasoned beef and pork sausage

More from Merriam-Webster on pepperoni

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