pepper

[ pep-er ]

/ ˈpɛp ər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR pepper ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a pungent condiment obtained from various plants of the genus Piper, especially from the dried berries, used whole or ground, of the tropical climbing shrub P. nigrum.

any plant of the genus Piper. Compare pepper family.

any of several plants of the genus Capsicum, especially C. annuum, cultivated in many varieties, or C. frutescens.

the usually green or red fruit of any of these plants, ranging from mild to very pungent in flavor.

the pungent seeds of several varieties of C. annuum or C. frutescens, used ground or whole as a condiment.

Baseball. pepper game.

verb (used with object)

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.

Origin of pepper

before 1000; Middle English peper, piper, Old English pipor (> Old Norse pipari, piparr) < Latin piper < Greek péperi; compare Old Frisian piper, Dutch peper, Old High German pfeffar (German Pfeffer); these and Old English pipor perhaps < a common West Germanic borrowing < Latin

OTHER WORDS FROM pepper

pep·per·er, noun pep·per·ish, adjective pep·per·ish·ly, adverb un·pep·pered, adjective

Words nearby pepper

peplomer, peplos, peplum, peplus, pepo, pepper, pepper family, pepper game, pepper mill, pepper pot, pepper spot

Example sentences from the Web for peppered

At that point, a tall, brown-haired man with wire-rimmed glasses came over to me, sat down, and peppered me with questions.

I Was Gang Raped at a UVA Frat 30 Years Ago, and No One Did Anything |Liz Seccuro |December 16, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The text is peppered with internal rhymes and repeated letter combos.

Well, La Ti Da: Stephin Merritt’s Winning Little Words of Scrabble |David Bukszpan |October 11, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Calls to plead with insurance companies are peppered throughout the day.

How Being a Doctor Became the Most Miserable Profession |Daniela Drake |April 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
While his earlier films were meditative and often peppered with whimsical interludes, A Touch of Sin is notable for its anger.

Jia Zhang-Ke’s ‘A Touch of Sin’ Premieres at Cannes |Richard Porton |May 17, 2013 |DAILY BEAST

The narrative is paced and comfortable, peppered with bursts of predictability.

This Week’s Hot Reads: April 29, 2013 |G. Clay Whittaker, Jen Vafidis |April 29, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Behind them were the warriors and young men, the matrons and maids; and peppered in, as it were, the children of all ages.

Personal Memoirs Of A Residence Of Thirty Years With The Indian Tribes On The American Frontiers |Henry Rowe Schoolcraft
We peppered them all the way up the hill and, as I could see from my glasses, killed a good many of them.

Through Three Campaigns |G. A. Henty
I have been 'peppered so highly' in my time, both ways, that it must be cayenne or aloes to make me taste.

Life of Lord Byron, Vol. II |Thomas Moore
I've been scalded with hot water and peppered all over with shot.

Miss Elliot's Girls |Mrs Mary Spring Corning
I recognize monsieur by his red nose and his peppered face; hes the one who came to the bureau and picked me out.

The Bashful Lover (Novels of Paul de Kock Volume XIX) |Charles Paul de Kock

British Dictionary definitions for peppered

pepper

/ (ˈpɛpə) /

noun

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 also black pepper, white pepper

any of various other plants of the genus Piper See cubeb, betel, kava

Also called: capsicum any 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 also bird pepper, sweet 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

any of various similar but unrelated plants, such as water pepper

verb (tr)

to season with pepper

to sprinkle liberally; dot his prose was peppered with alliteration

to pelt with small missiles

Word Origin for pepper

Old English piper, from Latin, from Greek peperi; compare French poivre, Old Norse piparr

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

pepper

noun

verb (used with object)

Origin of pepper

OTHER WORDS FROM pepper

Words nearby pepper

Example sentences from the Web for peppered

British Dictionary definitions for peppered

noun

verb (tr)

Word Origin for pepper

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

pepper

noun

verb (used with object)

Origin of pepper

OTHER WORDS FROM pepper

Words nearby pepper

Words related to peppered

Example sentences from the Web for peppered

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noun

verb (tr)

Word Origin for pepper

British Dictionary definitions for peppered