hot pepper

noun

: any of various small and usually thin-walled capsicum fruits of marked pungency

also : a plant (especially a variant or cultivar of Capsicum annuum and C. frutescens) bearing hot peppers

Examples of hot pepper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On the lighter side, steamed Chilean sea bass is subtle and festooned with hot pepper slices in a ginger-vinegar broth. — Connie Ogle july 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026

The Effin Hot is a spicy version with steak, onions, hot cherry peppers, hot pepper jack cheese and Sriracha spread. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026

Spray Repellent Some gardeners have success using repellents made with hot pepper or predator urine. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 July 2026

The capsaicin in hot peppers irritates pests and deters them from feeding on plants. — Farima Ferguson, The Spruce, 15 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hot pepper

• leper
• lepper
• stepper

Kids Definition

hot pepper

noun

1

: an often thin-walled and small pepper with a sharp or biting taste

2

: a pepper plant of the nightshade family that bears hot peppers