paprika

noun

pa·​pri·​ka pə-ˈprē-kə 

pa-

: a usually mild red seasoning consisting of the dried finely ground pods of various sweet peppers

also : a sweet pepper used for making paprika

Examples of paprika in a Sentence

tomato sauce made with garlic, paprika, and pepper

Recent Examples on the Web

In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, evaporated milk, eggs, paprika, salt and white pepper. —Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Nov. 2025

Tailor this recipe to your tastes, swap dill for chives, or add a bit of spice with paprika, cayenne, or black pepper. —Patricia S York, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025

Sour cream dressing Tracing back to Central and Eastern Europe, sour cream dressing is thinned with lemon juice or vinegar, brightened with Dijon mustard and sometimes sweetened with sugar and paprika for dressings that shine on potato or egg salads. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025

Stuffed cabbage, filled with ground pork, rice, and paprika, served over sauerkraut. —Irv Erdos, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Hungarian, from Serbian & Croatian, from papar ground pepper, ultimately from Latin piper — more at pepper

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for paprika

• arnica
• carica
• rebekah
• turcica
• chica

Kids Definition

paprika

noun

pa·​pri·​ka pə-ˈprē-kə 

pa-

: a mild red spice consisting of the dried finely ground fruit of various cultivated sweet peppers