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

This allowed Brown to showcase the rich spices used in northern Thai cuisine such as lemongrass, tamarind and chili. —Leah Collins, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024

The furor also renewed love for Lao Gan Ma spicy chili crisp, an iconic condiment that many of Asian descent, particularly Chinese Americans, associate with home. —Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2024

And how far could Momofuku take its chili crunch war? —Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 10 Apr. 2024

The former is a distinct brand name and swims in a pool of chili gravy and doesn't usually include meat or sugars. —Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2024

Momofuku first launched its chili crunch in 2018 before selling bottles in 2020. —Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024

The chili crunchy stuff with the stern lady on the bottle was the clear winner. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024

In normal times, it is often seasoned with lemon juice or chili pepper. —Bilal Shbair, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024

Slather with the herbed chili butter before slicing into 1-inch wide strips. —Laura McLively, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 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 pepper
• chili dog
• 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