a pungent condiment obtained from various plants of the genus Piper, esp. from the dried berries, used whole or ground, of the tropical climbing shrub P. nigrum.
Plant Biologyany plant of the genus Piper. Cf. pepper family.
Plant Biologyany of several plants of the genus Capsicum, esp. C. annuum, cultivated in many varieties, or C. frutescens.
Plant Biologythe usually green or red fruit of any of these plants, ranging from mild to very pungent in flavor.
Plant Biologythe pungent seeds of several varieties of C. annuum or C. frutescens, used ground or whole as a condiment.
Sport[Baseball.]See pepper game.
v.t.
to season with or as if with pepper.
to sprinkle or cover, as if with pepper; dot.
to sprinkle like pepper.
to hit with rapidly repeated short jabs.
to pelt with or as if with shot or missiles:They peppered the speaker with hard questions.
to discharge (shot or missiles) at something.
Latin
a common WGmc borrowing
Greek péperi; compare Old Frisian piper, Dutch peper, Old High German pfeffar (German Pfeffer); these and Old English pipor perh.
Latin piper
Middle English peper, piper, Old English pipor ( Old Norse pipari, piparr) bef. 1000
pep′per•er, n. pep′per•ish, adj. pep′per•ish•ly, adv.
a woody climbing plant, Piper nigrum, of the East Indies, having small black berry-like fruits: family Piperaceae
the dried fruit of this plant, which is ground to produce a sharp hot condiment See alsoblack pepper, white pepper
any of various other plants of the genus Piper Seecubeb, betel, kava
Also called:capsicumany of various tropical plants of the solanaceous genus Capsicum, esp C. frutescens, the fruits of which are used as a vegetable and a condiment See alsosweet pepper, red pepper, cayenne pepper
the fruit of any of these capsicums, which has a mild or pungent taste
the condiment made from the fruits of any of these plants
(transitive)
to season with pepper
to sprinkle liberally; dot: his prose was peppered with alliteration
to pelt with small missiles
Etymology: Old English piper, from Latin, from Greek peperi; compare French poivre, Old Norse piparr
'pepper sauce' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):