pepper spray

noun

: a temporarily disabling aerosol that is composed partly of capsicum oleoresin and causes irritation and blinding of the eyes and inflammation of the nose, throat, and skin

Examples of pepper spray in a Sentence

The police used pepper spray to bring the suspect under control.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Weapons of any kind (no knives or mace/pepper spray of any size). Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025 An officer who responded to the transit center for a pepper spray report spoke to the suspect approximately 10 minutes before the alleged assault, according to the charging documents. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2025 The officers escorted Williams to the parking lot, which is where Stewart used pepper spray on her, a police incident report states. Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2025 Online speculation ranged from talk of a terrorist attack to claims that pepper spray may have been involved. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pepper spray

Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pepper spray was in 1979

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pepper spray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pepper%20spray. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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