pepperoni

noun

pep·​per·​o·​ni ˌpe-pə-ˈrō-nē 

: a highly seasoned beef and pork sausage

Examples of pepperoni in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For a vegetarian option, swap the pepperoni for cooked chickpeas, Great Northern, or cannellini beans. — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026

The restaurant, which is on the verge of opening its second location in Coconut Grove, will serve margherita and pepperoni slices at the stadium. — Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026

These items included sausage pizza, mushroom pizza and pepperoni calzone. — Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado july 24, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2026

Gooey mozzarella, crispy pepperoni cups holding little pools of grease, herby Italian sausage. — Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026

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

Rhymes for pepperoni

• abalone
• acrimony
• alimony
• antimony
• ceremony
• chalcedony
• cicerone
• cosmogony
• eurozone
• lithopone
• macaroni
• matrimony

Kids Definition

pepperoni

noun

pep·​per·​o·​ni ˌpep-ə-ˈrō-nē 

: a highly seasoned beef and pork sausage