hot pepper

noun

: any of various small and usually thin-walled capsicum fruits of marked pungency
also : a plant (especially a variant or cultivar of Capsicum annuum and C. frutescens) bearing hot peppers

Examples of hot pepper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Other menu favorites such as pies, cakes, cookies, breads, sundaes and milkshakes are available, along with the return of mango shakes and slushies, and homemade guava and hot pepper guava jellies. — Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026 This year, the menu will add mango shakes and slushies, made with fruit picked over the summer, as well as guava and hot pepper guava jellies. — Connie Ogle october 1, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026 Step 3 Meanwhile, mix together ⅔ cup gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste), 2 Tbsp. — Catherine Yoo, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Sep. 2026 Find one with hot peppers and Parma Prosciutto as the stars at Shayna's Place, a deli but so much more. — Gail Ciampa, The Providence Journal, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hot pepper

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hot pepper was in 1945

Rhymes for hot pepper

See All Rhymes for hot pepper

Browse Nearby Words

hot papa
hot pepper
hot plate
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Cite this Entry

“Hot pepper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20pepper. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

hot pepper

noun
1
: an often thin-walled and small pepper with a sharp or biting taste
2
: a pepper plant of the nightshade family that bears hot peppers
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