peperoncino

noun pe·pe·ron·ci·no \ ˌpe-pə-rōn-ˈchē-(ˌ)nō \

variants: or peperoncini or pepperoncini

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Definition of peperoncino

plural peperoncini also peperoncinis or pepperoncinis

1 a : any of several thin-walled, medium-sized hot peppers used esp. in Italian cooking

add one peperoncino to the pasta

imported peperoncini

Note: In Italian, the singular is peperoncino and the plural is peperoncini. In English, peperoncini is also used as a singular and is sometimes pluralized as peperoncinis. The variant singular pepperoncini and plural pepperoncinis are also seen in English.

b peperoncino : the dried, crushed flakes of any of several red hot peppers used esp. in Italian cooking

a pinch of peperoncino

2 peperoncini or pepperoncini : a condiment or garnish made of pickled usu. green hot peppers used esp. in Italian cooking

a jar of pepperoncini

; also : one of these pickled peppers

a pizza garnished with pepperoncinis

Origin and Etymology of peperoncino

borrowed from Italian, from peperone "chili pepper" + -cino, variant, with nouns ending in -one, of -ino, diminutive suffix, going back to Latin -īnus ¹-ine — more at pepperoni

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1932

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year