Paprika

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /pəˈpɹiːkə/

Definitions

1. A spice derived from dried capsicum peppers that enhances flavor and color in numerous culinary applications
2. A brightly colored seasoning produced from ground peppers, widely utilized in cooking to impart both taste and visual appeal
3. A culinary ingredient made from dried and ground sweet or hot peppers that adds flavor and a vibrant hue to various dishes

Etymology: Paprika started its life as a long pepper. The Sanskrit "pippali" named the long pepper plant of India, and the name travelled west through Greek and Latin, where "piper" meant the black pepper that Europeans prized. Slavic speakers took the word as "pĭpĭrĭ," and from there it reached the Balkans, where the Serbo-Croatian "papar" became the name for the red pepper that had only recently arrived from the Americas. The chain runs through Serbo-Croatian "pàprika" into Hungarian, which gave the word its familiar form. The Hungarian term was borrowed back into English, and it now names the ground spice made from dried red capsicum pods rather than the peppercorn that gave it its root meaning. The name is a clear case of a word keeping its shape while its object changed completely: pepper in the Old World, chili in the New, and a Hungarian staple in between.

Synonyms: pepper, spice, seasoning, condiment, herb