Pepper

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈpɛpə/

Definitions

1. A pungent spice made from dried berries of certain plants, used to add heat and flavor to food
2. A spice that is grounded from the dried fruits of particular plants, which is utilized to add flavor and a warm, zesty kick to a variety of dishes
3. A spice derived from the dried seeds of specific plants, commonly used to enhance the flavor and introduce a moderate spiciness to culinary preparations

Etymology: The spice is older than its name, and the name traveled a long way. Sanskrit "pippali" referred to long pepper, a related plant whose fruit was prized in India, and that word likely reached the Greeks as "péperi," which the Romans adopted as "piper." Old English borrowed it as "piper" in the form that eventually became the modern word, so the English term has been in use since the Anglo-Saxon period. The name's journey did not stop with the spice. Once American peppers were encountered, the capsicum fruit was named after the Old World spice because of its similarly sharp, hot taste, even though the two plants are unrelated. The same Sanskrit root also gave English "peepul," the sacred fig tree of India, and "falafel," a doublet that reached English through Arabic, showing how a single word split into very different forms as it passed from language to language.

Synonyms: spice, seasoning, pungent spice

Antonyms: sweetness