chile

1 of 2

noun

variant spelling of chili

1

a

or chili pepper : a hot pepper of any of a group of cultivars (Capsicum annuum annuum group longum) noted for their pungency

b

chiefly British chilli : a pepper whether hot or sweet

2

a

: a thick sauce of meat and chilies

liked to cover her spaghetti with red chili

b

: chili con carne

a bowl of chili

also : a similar dish made without beef

vegetarian chili

seafood chili

chile

2 of 2

pronunciation spelling

ˈchī(-ə)l 

—used for "child" chiefly in spoken African American English especially of the southern U.S. and in written representations of such speech

… sources close to the situation have said that the "Love on the Brain" singer is remaining in Barbados while awaiting the birth of her first chile, as Newsweek also notes.

—Shanelle Genai

—often used as an affectionate or friendly way of addressing someone

"Chile, no one looks great this early in the morning," [Debbie] Allen [actress] replied with a chuckle, thanking her.

—Tonja Renée Stidhum

The couple shared the amazing news on Instagram, and chile … that ring is everything!

—Jasmine Grant

[Nikole] Hannah-Jones [investigative journalist] decided the best response would be to quote King accurately by reading excerpts of his speeches without mentioning explicitly that they were his words. "And, whew, chile, it was AMAZING," she said.

—David Moye

Examples of chile in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

People looking on, some still munching on mini quiche and green-chile breakfast potatoes, laughed. — Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Reduce it with chiles and molasses for a sticky glaze for roast chicken or use it in a tangy lamb chop marinade. — Emily Saladino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026

Teresa now encourages Leti and her brothers to keep telling their grandfather’s stories and cooking with Hatch chile, a family tradition. — Jenn Sinrich, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026

On the other, a mojo picón with the backbone of Malaysian sambal, piquant with fish sauce, Calabrian chiles, ginger and plenty of citrus zest. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Pronunciation Spelling

1839, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for chile

• bacilli
• tranquilly
• billie
• billy
• chilli
• chilly
• dilly
• filly
• frilly
• gillie
• gilly
• hilly

Geographical Definition

Chile

geographical name

Chi·​le ˈchē-(ˌ)lā  ˈchi-lē 

long, narrow country of southwestern South America between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific; a republic whose capital is Santiago and whose legislative capital is Valparaíso area 291,933 square miles (756,102 square kilometers)

Chilean

chə-ˈlā-ən  ˈchi-lē-ən 

adjective or noun