chili

noun

ˈchi-lē 

variants or less commonly chile or chiefly British chilli

plural chilies also chiles or chilis or chiefly British chillies

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

Examples of chili in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Doghouse, also on North Arthur Ashe, is a takeout-only spot that has a chili hot dog topped with Frito crumbles. —Sabrina Moreno, Axios, 17 July 2024

The bright tomatoes offer a freshness to balance out the strong meatiness of the slightly-sweet longganisa, and the salsa roja sauce added a nice kick of acidity and a little bit of Thai chili heat. —Lauryn Azu, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2024

While soupy chili on spaghetti and hot dogs may not be everyone's cup of tea, for many in the Queen City, Cincinnati chili might as well be considered another food group. —Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 7 July 2024

Chili Crisp Inspired by Chengdu’s fly restaurants, Fly by Jing’s chili crisp is transformative. —The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 3 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Spanish chile, from Nahuatl chīlli

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing chili

• chili con carne
• chili con queso
• chili dog
• chili pepper
• chili powder
• chili sauce
• ghost chili

Kids Definition

chili

noun

variants also chile or chilli

ˈchil-ē

plural chilies also chiles or chilis or chillies

1

: hot pepper sense 1

2

: chili con carne

Geographical Definition

Chili

geographical name

ˈchi-lē 

—former, especially British name for Chile or for the once poorly defined Andes border region between Chile and Argentina