pepperoni

noun

pep·​per·​o·​ni ˌpe-pə-ˈrō-nē How to pronounce pepperoni (audio)
: a highly seasoned beef and pork sausage

Examples of pepperoni in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Kids get raw dough to roll out and shape into a pizza pie, along with toppings, such as tomato sauce, cheese and pepperoni. Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024 The sauce offered just a hint of Italian-herb flavor without being overwhelming, and the cheese and pepperoni were, if not the highest quality, at least deployed in manageable amounts. Also unsurprising? Emily Heil, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024 The fried chicken chain’s latest menu item’s got pepperoni and marinara and cheese. The Courier-Journal, 22 Feb. 2024 From thin crust to thick, classic pepperoni to spinach artichoke and everything in between. Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 17 Feb. 2024 If short on time, substitute andouille with spicy sausages like Italian sausage or pepperoni. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2023 The item features two white meat fried chicken filets topped with marinara sauce, melted mozzarella cheese and crispy pepperoni. Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024 The current menu includes two options: cheese or pepperoni. Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 12 Feb. 2024 On the menu are pepperoni and cheese slices, plus a rotating vegetarian one. Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pepperoni.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Italian peperoni cayenne peppers, plural of peperone, augmentative of pepe pepper, from Latin piper — more at pepper

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pepperoni was in 1888

Dictionary Entries Near pepperoni

Cite this Entry

“Pepperoni.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pepperoni. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pepperoni

noun
pep·​per·​o·​ni ˌpep-ə-ˈrō-nē How to pronounce pepperoni (audio)
: a highly seasoned beef and pork sausage

More from Merriam-Webster on pepperoni

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