1
a
: either of two pungent products from the fruit of an Indian plant (Piper nigrum) that are used chiefly as condiments:
(1)
(2)
b
: any of several products similar to pepper that are obtained from plants of the same genus
cubeb pepper
c
: any of various pungent condiments of plants unrelated to the pepper
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
peppered; peppering
ˈpe-p(ə-)riŋ 
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
: 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
Synonyms
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
Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 May 2024
The viral trend on social media involved eating a chip containing Carolina Reaper and Naga Viper peppers.
—Michael Lee Simpson, Peoplemag, 16 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for pepper 
Noun
Meanwhile, for dressing, in a large bowl combine mayonnaise, mustard, the 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 May 2024
The viral trend on social media involved eating a chip containing Carolina Reaper and Naga Viper peppers.
—Michael Lee Simpson, Peoplemag, 16 May 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.
Articles Related to pepper
Dictionary Entries Near pepper
Cite this Entry
“Pepper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pepper. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pepper
1 of 2 noun
pep·per
ˈpep-ər
1
: either of two sharp-tasting products from the fruit of an Indian plant used especially as a seasoning
a
b
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
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
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share