hot pepper

noun

|Updated on: 10 Jun 2018

Definition of hot pepper

: 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

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Recent Examples of hot pepper from the Web

That roadside beef sandwich with sweet and hot peppers, and a few judicious dabs of sweet ketchup and tangy horseradish?

— michael austin, chicagotribune.com, "Wine doesn't go with everything, and it shouldn't have to," 16 May 2018
Morey and his son Elijah were bit by the business bug in 2014, thanks to their mutual love for hot peppers.

— tamara e. holmes, USA TODAY, "Microloans a glimmer of hope for small businesses in need," 3 May 2018
Presumably, these effects come down to capsaicin, the active ingredient in hot peppers that gives them their heat.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Eating world’s hottest pepper sparks brain disorder, thunderclap headaches," 9 Apr. 2018
Its specialty will be the El Jefe (Cubano) with Smoked Mojo pulled pork, sliced premium honey ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard and hot pepper sauce on a buttered and toasted Dutch Crunch bread.

— joyce smith, kansascity, "New specialty sandwich shop opening in West Plaza area | The Kansas City Star," 5 Apr. 2018
Some of the beer is aged in a small bourbon barrel, some will be infused with hot peppers.

— marc bona, cleveland.com, "Beer calendar: The Black Pig challenge, Granite City tappings, Sibling Revelry at 35 Brix, more," 26 Feb. 2018
Mix barbecue sauce, garlic and hot pepper sauce together.

— linda gassenheimer, miamiherald, "Barbecued chicken salad makes a quick Memorial Day meal | Miami Herald," 21 May 2018
Some organic materials to use might include pheromone traps, horticultural oils, insecticidal soaps, hot pepper sprays and organic compost.

— evan frank, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Planning your garden? Don't have space? Oconomowoc community gardens could provide an answer.," 30 Apr. 2018
Vegetables: Calabaza, chayote, cherry tomato, collards, dasheen, lima bean, snap bean, Malabar spinach, malanga, New Zealand spinach, okra, hot pepper, roselle, Seminole pumpkin, Southern pea, sweet potato, tamarillo, yam and yard-long bean. 4.

— tom maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "May in the garden," 28 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hot pepper.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.