pepper

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: Pep=per

CIDE DICTIONARY

pepper, n. [OE. peper, AS. pipor, L. piper, fr. Gr. pe`peri, pi`peri, akin to Skr. pippala, pippali.].

•  A well-known, pungently aromatic condiment, the dried berry, either whole or powdered, of the Piper nigrum.  [1913 Webster]

  " Common pepper, or black pepper, is made from the whole berry, dried just before maturity; white pepper is made from the ripe berry after the outer skin has been removed by maceration and friction. It has less of the peculiar properties of the plant than the black pepper. Pepper is used in medicine as a carminative stimulant."  [1913 Webster]
•  The plant which yields pepper, an East Indian woody climber (Piper nigrum), with ovate leaves and apetalous flowers in spikes opposite the leaves. The berries are red when ripe. Also, by extension, any one of the several hundred species of the genus Piper, widely dispersed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the earth.  [1913 Webster]
•  Any plant of the genus Capsicum (of the Solanaceae family, which are unrelated to Piper), and its fruit; red pepper; chili pepper; as, the bell pepper and the jalapeno pepper (both Capsicum annuum) and the habanero pepper (Capsicum chinense); . These contain varying levels of the substance capsaicin (C18H27O3N), which gives the peppers their hot taste. The habanero is about 25-50 times hotter than the jalapeno according to a scale developed by Wilbur Scoville in 1912. See also Capsicum and http://www.chili-pepper-plants.com/.  [1913 Webster]

  " The term pepper has been extended to various other fruits and plants, more or less closely resembling the true pepper, esp. to the common varieties of Capsicum. See Capsicum, and the Phrases, below."  [1913 Webster]

African pepper, the Guinea pepper. See under Guinea. -- Cayenne pepper. See under Cayenne. -- Chinese pepper, the spicy berries of the Xanthoxylum piperitum, a species of prickly ash found in China and Japan. -- Guinea pepper. See under Guinea, and Capsicum. -- Jamaica pepper. See Allspice. -- Long pepper. (a) The spike of berries of Piper longum, an East Indian shrub. (b) The root of Piper methysticum (syn. Macropiper methysticum) of the family Piperaceae. See Kava. -- Malaguetta pepper, or Meleguetta pepper, the aromatic seeds of the Amomum Melegueta, an African plant of the Ginger family. They are sometimes used to flavor beer, etc., under the name of grains of Paradise. -- Red pepper. See Capsicum. -- Sweet pepper bush (Bot.), an American shrub (Clethra alnifolia), with racemes of fragrant white flowers; -- called also white alder. -- Pepper box or Pepper caster, a small box or bottle, with a perforated lid, used for sprinkling ground pepper on food, etc. -- Pepper corn. See in the Vocabulary. -- Pepper elder (Bot.), a West Indian name of several plants of the Pepper family, species of Piper and Peperomia. -- Pepper moth (Zoöl.), a European moth (Biston betularia) having white wings covered with small black specks. -- Pepper pot, a mucilaginous soup or stew of vegetables and cassareep, much esteemed in the West Indies. -- Pepper root. (Bot.). See Coralwort. -- pepper sauce, a condiment for the table, made of small red peppers steeped in vinegar. -- Pepper tree (Bot.), an aromatic tree (Drimys axillaris) of the Magnolia family, common in New Zealand. See Peruvian mastic tree, under Mastic.

pepper, v. t. 

•  To sprinkle or season with pepper.  [1913 Webster]
•  Figuratively: To shower shot or other missiles, or blows, upon; to pelt; to fill with shot, or cover with bruises or wounds; as, to pepper him with buckshot.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

pepper, v. i. 

 To fire numerous shots (at).  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

pepper, n. & v.
--n.
1 a a hot aromatic condiment from the dried berries of certain plants used whole or ground. b any climbing vine of the genus Piper, esp. P. nigrum, yielding these berries.
2 anything hot or pungent.
3 a any plant of the genus Capsicum, esp. C. annuum. b the fruit of this used esp. as a vegetable or salad ingredient.
4 = CAYENNE.
--v.tr.
1 sprinkle or treat with or as if with pepper.
2 a pelt with missiles. b hurl abuse etc. at.
3 punish severely.

Idiom

black pepper the unripe ground or whole berries of Piper nigrum as a condiment. green pepper the unripe fruit of Capsicum annuum. pepper-mill a device for grinding pepper by hand. pepper-pot 1 a small container with a perforated lid for sprinkling pepper.
2 a W. Indian dish of meat etc. stewed with cayenne pepper.
3 colloq. a Jamaican. red (or yellow) pepper the ripe fruit of Capsicum annuum. sweet pepper a pepper with a relatively mild taste. white pepper the ripe or husked ground or whole berries of Piper nigrum as a condiment.

Etymology

OE piper, pipor f. L piper f. Gk peperi f. Skr. pippali- berry, peppercorn

THESAURUS

pepper

Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, aggressiveness, aim at, allspice, anchovies, angelica, applesauce, band, bang, bar, barrage, basil, bell pepper, bespangle, bespeckle, bespot, besprinkle, black pepper, blast, blaze, blaze a trail, blemish, blitz, blotch, bombard, borage, brand, bread, burnet, cannon, cannonade, caper, capsicum, caraway seeds, cardamom, catsup, celery salt, chalk, chalk up, charge, check, check off, checker, chervil, chili, chili sauce, chili vinegar, chives, chutney, cicatrize, cinnamon, cloves, cock, commence firing, condiments, coriander, cranberry sauce, crumb, cubeb, cumin, curry, dahl sauce, dapple, dash, define, delimit, demarcate, detonate, dill, dillseed, discharge, discolor, dot, dredge, drive, drop, duck sauce, dust, eject, enfilade, engrave, enterprise, fagara, fell, fennel, file, fire, fire a volley, fire at, fire off, fire upon, five spice powder, flake, flavor, fleck, flour, freckle, fusillade, garlic, garlic butter, garlic powder, garlic salt, gash, get-up-and-go, ginger, green pepper, gun, gun for, harlequin, hatch, hedge garlic, hit, horseradish, hyssop, impress, imprint, initiative, iris, kick, leek, let fly, let off, line, load, mace, maculate, make a mark, marble, marbleize, marinade, marjoram, mark, mark off, mark out, mayonnaise, mint, mortar, motley, mottle, mustard, nick, notch, nutmeg, onion, onion salt, open fire, open up on, oregano, paprika, parsley, pelt, pencil, pep, peppercorn, peppermint, piccalilli, pick off, pickle, pimento, pimpernel, piss and vinegar, pistol, pizzazz, plug, point, polychrome, polychromize, poop, pop at, pot, potherb, potshoot, potshot, powder, prick, prime, print, punch, punctuate, puncture, push, radish, rainbow, rake, red pepper, relish, riddle, saffron, sage, salad dressing, salt, sauce, sauce-alone, savor, savory, scar, scarify, scatter, score, scotch, scratch, seal, seam, season, seasoned salt, sesame oil, sesame seeds, shallot, shell, shoot, shoot at, shoot down, snap, snipe, snipe at, soy, soy sauce, spangle, spatter, speck, speckle, spice, splatter, splotch, spot, spray, sprinkle, spunk, stain, stamp, star anise, starch, stigmatize, stipple, strafe, streak, striate, strike, stripe, stud, take a potshot, take aim at, tarragon, tartar sauce, tattoo, tessellate, thrust, thyme, tick, tick off, tomato paste, torpedo, trace, turmeric, underline, underscore, vanilla, variegate, vein, verve, vim, vinegar, white pepper, zero in on, zing, zip

ROGET THESAURUS

pepper

Attack

VB attack, assault, assail, invade, set upon, fall upon, charge, impugn, break a lance with, enter the lists, assume the offensive, take the offensive, be the aggressor, become the aggressor, strike the first blow, draw first blood, throw the first stone at, lift a hand against, draw the sword against, take up the cudgels, advance against, march against, march upon, harry, come on, show fight, strike at, poke at, thrust at, aim a blow at, deal a blow at, give one a blow, fetch one a blow, fetch one a kick, give one a kick, have a cut at, have a shot at, take a cut at, take a shot at, have a fling at, have a shy at, be down upon, pounce upon, fall foul of, pitch into, launch out against, bait, slap on the face, make a thrust at, make a pass at, make a set at, make a dead set at, bear down upon, close with, come to close quarters, bring to bay, ride full tilt against, attack tooth and nail, go at hammer and tongs, let fly at, dash at, run a tilt at, rush at, tilt at, run at, fly at, hawk at, have at, let out at, make a dash, make a rush at, strike home, drive one hard, press one hard, be hard upon, run down, strike at the root of, lay about one, run amuck, aim at, draw a bead on, fire upon, fire at, fire a shot at, shoot at, pop at, level at, let off a gun at, open fire, pepper, bombard, shell, pour a broadside into, fire a volley, fire red-hot shot, spring a mine, throw a stone, throw stones at, stone, lapidate, pelt, hurl at, hurl against, hurl at the head of, rock beset, besiege, beleaguer, lay siege to, invest, open the trenches, plant a battery, sap, mine, storm, board, scale the walls, cut and thrust, bayonet, butt, kick, strike, whip, assail, impugn, malign (detract), bomb, rocket, blast.

Pungency

VB be pungent, bite the tongue, render pungent, season, spice, salt, pepper, pickle, brine, devil, smoke, chew, take snuff.

Condiment

N condiment, seasoning, sauce, spice, relish, appetizer, salt, mustard, grey poupon mustard, pepper, black pepper, white pepper, peppercorn, curry, sauce piquante, caviare, onion, garlic, pickle, achar, allspice, bell pepper, Jamaica pepper, green pepper, chutney, cubeb, pimento, capsicum, red pepper, chili peppers, cayenne, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, oregano, cloves, fennel, pot herbs, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, marjoram, frankincense, balm, myrrh, paprika, saffron, ginger, turmeric.