pepper

1 of 3

noun (1)

pep·​per ˈpe-pər How to pronounce pepper (audio)
1
a
: either of two pungent spices that consist of the dried, typically ground fruit of an Indian vine (Piper nigrum):
(1)
(2)
b
: any of several similar pungent plant products: such as
(1)
: cubeb
(2)
: the dried pinkish-red husks of an Asian tree (genus Zanthoxylum) and especially Z. simulans of the rue family that are typically ground and used as a spice which produces a tingling sensation in the mouth
Szechuan pepper
2
: any of a genus (Piper of the family Piperaceae, the pepper family) of tropical mostly jointed climbing shrubs with aromatic leaves
especially : a woody vine (P. nigrum) with spicate flowers that is widely cultivated in the tropics for its red berries from which black pepper and white pepper are prepared
3
a
: capsicum sense 1
especially : one (Capsicum annuum) whose fruits are hot peppers or sweet peppers
b
: the hollow fruit of a pepper that is usually green when unripe and red or yellow when ripe
pepper adjective

pepper

2 of 3

verb

peppered; peppering ˈpe-p(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce pepper (audio)

transitive verb

1
a
: to sprinkle or season with pepper
b
: to shower with or as if with shot or other missiles
2
: to hit with or as if with rapid repeated blows
3
: to sprinkle or cover as if with pepper
peppered the report with statistics
a face peppered with freckles
pepperer noun

pepper

3 of 3

noun (2)

: a baseball practice or warm-up game in which usually several fielders toss the ball a short distance to a single batter who hits it back

Examples of pepper in a Sentence

Verb You need to pepper the stew more. pepper the costume with flecks of glitter
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In a small bowl, measure the salt to this weight and add to the bowl with the pepper mixture. Alex Testere, Saveur, 9 Oct. 2024 Underlying hints of pepper, citrus zest, and toasted brown sugar add complexity. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
Verb
And then there’s the Drake of it all; already, fans have gone back and traced, line by line, the subliminals that pepper these two discs. Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024 Floor-to-ceiling murals take up wide swaths of the three-story building, Ghanaian-style movie posters of Titmouse projects line hallways, and each stairwell is equipped with dozens of paint markers for workers to pepper the wall with their own designs. Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pepper 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pepper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English peper, from Old English pipor, from Latin piper, from Greek peperi

Noun (2)

probably from pep entry 2 + -er entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1943, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pepper was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near pepper

Cite this Entry

“Pepper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pepper. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

pepper

1 of 2 noun
pep·​per ˈpep-ər How to pronounce pepper (audio)
1
: either of two sharp-tasting products from the fruit of an Indian plant used especially as a seasoning
2
: a woody vine with rounded leaves and flowers arranged in a spike that is widely cultivated in the tropics for its red berries from which pepper is prepared
3
: any of several products similar to pepper that are obtained from close relatives of the pepper
4
a
: any of a genus of tropical American herbs and shrubs of the nightshade family widely cultivated for their many-seeded fruits that usually have fleshy walls
especially : one whose fruits are hot peppers or sweet peppers
b
: the fruit of a pepper that is usually green when unripe and yellow or red when ripe
pepper adjective

pepper

2 of 2 verb
peppered; peppering ˈpep-(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce pepper (audio)
1
: to sprinkle, cover, or season with or as if with pepper
pepper the stew
a face peppered with freckles
2
: to hit with a shower of blows or objects

Medical Definition

pepper

noun
pep·​per ˈpep-ər How to pronounce pepper (audio)
1
a
: a woody Indian vine of the genus Piper (P. nigrum) that is widely cultivated in the tropics for its red berries from which black pepper and white pepper are prepared
b(1)
(2)
2

More from Merriam-Webster on pepper

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