ghost pepper
noun
variants
or less commonly ghost chili
plural ghost peppers also ghost chilis
: a small, extremely hot chili pepper of southern Asia that is a hybrid between two species (Capsicum chinensis and Capsicum frutescens)
… the aforementioned potstickers come with a lethal house-made sauce of habaneros and ghost peppers (I managed one tiny spoonful before my tongue went numb).—
Phil Vettel
Phil VettelGhost pepper, a name for the bhut jolokia grown mainly in northeast India, is so powerful that the Indian military announced earlier this year that it was going to "weaponize" the peppers for hand grenades.—Florence Fabricant
Florence Fabricantcalled also bhut jolokia
Examples of ghost pepper in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Scoville scale ranges from standard bell peppers with no capsaicin to ghost peppers and the Trinidad scorpion, the spiciest chilies.
—Anthea Levi, Health, 30 Mar. 2024
Seek out risks Don’t walk down dark alleys at night or order ghost peppers on your next burrito.
—Mary C. Murphy, Fortune Well, 19 Mar. 2024
Bhut jolokia, or 'ghost pepper,' earned the Guinness World Records title in 2007 but has since been replaced by the painfully fiery Carolina Reaper.
—Deb Wiley, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2024
The chain is launching five different flavors as permanent menu additions: ghost pepper, sweet n’ spicy, honey BBQ wings, roasted garlic parmesan and signature hot.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 6 Feb. 2024
Flavors include cinnamon, lavender, lemon, ghost pepper, bourbon and more.
Details: Order online for shipment anywhere or visit a local retailer.
—Jessica Swannie, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
The liquid fire is built with ghost pepper and Carolina Reaper, two of the hottest peppers on the planet.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 19 Jan. 2024
For reference, standard pepper spray contains around 2,000,000 to 5,000,000 SHU, ghost pepper 1,000,000 SHU, and jalapeno pepper 3,500 SHU.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 8 Sep. 2023
The set includes five sauces of varying spice levels, ranging from mild jalapeño to super-spicy ghost pepper.
—Washington Post, 4 Dec. 2023
Anthea Levi, Health, 30 Mar. 2024
Seek out risks Don’t walk down dark alleys at night or order ghost peppers on your next burrito.
—Mary C. Murphy, Fortune Well, 19 Mar. 2024
Bhut jolokia, or 'ghost pepper,' earned the Guinness World Records title in 2007 but has since been replaced by the painfully fiery Carolina Reaper.
—Deb Wiley, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2024
The chain is launching five different flavors as permanent menu additions: ghost pepper, sweet n’ spicy, honey BBQ wings, roasted garlic parmesan and signature hot.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 6 Feb. 2024
Flavors include cinnamon, lavender, lemon, ghost pepper, bourbon and more.
Details: Order online for shipment anywhere or visit a local retailer.
—Jessica Swannie, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
The liquid fire is built with ghost pepper and Carolina Reaper, two of the hottest peppers on the planet.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 19 Jan. 2024
For reference, standard pepper spray contains around 2,000,000 to 5,000,000 SHU, ghost pepper 1,000,000 SHU, and jalapeno pepper 3,500 SHU.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 8 Sep. 2023
The set includes five sauces of varying spice levels, ranging from mild jalapeño to super-spicy ghost pepper.
—Washington Post, 4 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ghost pepper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ghost pepper
Cite this Entry
“Ghost pepper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghost%20pepper. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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