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
Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 4 Apr. 2024
Add the chicken mixture to the pan with peppers and onions and heat until chicken is cooked through.
—Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 30 Mar. 2024
Assemble casserole: Arrange 2 even layers of potato slices in prepared dish; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
—Karen Schroeder-Rankin, Southern Living, 25 Mar. 2024
The Sacramento police officer who shot a pepper ball that blinded a woman in one eye in 2020 — resulting in a $3 million city settlement — has been exonerated.
—Theresa Clift, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2024
Garlic, onion powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper are also great seasonings to incorporate.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024
Add the peas, bulgur and boiling water and season generously with salt and pepper before covering the skillet and turning off the heat.
—Laura McLively, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
Stir in the flour, lemon zest, broth, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.
—Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 16 Mar. 2024
Make sure each layer contains some of everything, then season it with salt and pepper, dress it with your vinaigrette, and dig in.
—Audrey Bruno, SELF, 15 Mar. 2024
Elisabeth Vincentelli, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
For good measure, one of them peppered the generator with bullets.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Falling on the softer, pinker end of the peach spectrum, Texas designer Lila Malone's pick for Natalie Steen's lacquered living room is the ideal backdrop for the host of other hues that pepper the space.
—Grace Haynes, Southern Living, 20 Mar. 2024
The dive bar next door, Pancha’s of Yountville, was recently sold and awaits reopening — still as a dive bar — but Ciccio sits on a stretch of road peppered by some of Yountville’s most impressive wine and food options.
—Nora Heston Tarte, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024
And the filmmaker peppers in plenty of other anachronisms to establish a sunny tone, including a retro title card with production companies, colorful costuming and plenty of Gen X soundtrack staples.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024
The franchise remains alive, but the best books came out between 1957 and 1977, when Goscinny wrote the stories, peppering them with his witty dialogue.
—Ernesto Lechner, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2024
With 34 barrier and tidal islands peppering its shoreline (more than any other state except for Florida), South Carolina spills over with natural wonders, beautiful beaches, and unique destinations to explore.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024
Indeed, Moffat delights in peppering the tale with comedic moments even as Douglas’ life slowly falls apart.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 26 Feb. 2024
Noun
The sauce is tangy with some combination of fish sauce, lime, garlic, peppers, and sugar.
—Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 4 Apr. 2024
Add the chicken mixture to the pan with peppers and onions and heat until chicken is cooked through.
—Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 30 Mar. 2024
Assemble casserole: Arrange 2 even layers of potato slices in prepared dish; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
—Karen Schroeder-Rankin, Southern Living, 25 Mar. 2024
The Sacramento police officer who shot a pepper ball that blinded a woman in one eye in 2020 — resulting in a $3 million city settlement — has been exonerated.
—Theresa Clift, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2024
Garlic, onion powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper are also great seasonings to incorporate.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024
Add the peas, bulgur and boiling water and season generously with salt and pepper before covering the skillet and turning off the heat.
—Laura McLively, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
Stir in the flour, lemon zest, broth, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.
—Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 16 Mar. 2024
Make sure each layer contains some of everything, then season it with salt and pepper, dress it with your vinaigrette, and dig in.
—Audrey Bruno, SELF, 15 Mar. 2024
Verb
Yes, all those references do pepper Durang’s work, seasoning without overwhelming the dishes.
—Elisabeth Vincentelli, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
For good measure, one of them peppered the generator with bullets.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Falling on the softer, pinker end of the peach spectrum, Texas designer Lila Malone's pick for Natalie Steen's lacquered living room is the ideal backdrop for the host of other hues that pepper the space.
—Grace Haynes, Southern Living, 20 Mar. 2024
The dive bar next door, Pancha’s of Yountville, was recently sold and awaits reopening — still as a dive bar — but Ciccio sits on a stretch of road peppered by some of Yountville’s most impressive wine and food options.
—Nora Heston Tarte, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024
And the filmmaker peppers in plenty of other anachronisms to establish a sunny tone, including a retro title card with production companies, colorful costuming and plenty of Gen X soundtrack staples.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024
The franchise remains alive, but the best books came out between 1957 and 1977, when Goscinny wrote the stories, peppering them with his witty dialogue.
—Ernesto Lechner, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2024
With 34 barrier and tidal islands peppering its shoreline (more than any other state except for Florida), South Carolina spills over with natural wonders, beautiful beaches, and unique destinations to explore.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024
Indeed, Moffat delights in peppering the tale with comedic moments even as Douglas’ life slowly falls apart.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 26 Feb. 2024
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.
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Dictionary Entries Near pepper
Cite this Entry
“Pepper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pepper. Accessed 17 Apr. 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
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