Definition of "capsaicin" [cap•sa•i•cin]

• A colorless, pungent, crystalline compound, C18H27NO3, that is derived from capsicum and is a strong irritant to skin and mucous membranes. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Well, what happens is that that even when - in experimental models, when they give this capsaicin, which is the active ingredient, chronically, you do become desensitized to it, eventually."
• "One is called the capsaicin receptor, after the stinging substance in red peppers, because it is triggered both by hot air and hot spices."
• "If you actually take the active ingredient known as capsaicin and put them in a body cream, you could actually ward off arthritis."