Definition of "pepper" []

• Black pepper. (noun)
• Any of several plants of the genus Piper, as cubeb, betel, and kava. (noun)
• Any of several tropical American, cultivated forms of Capsicum frutescens or C. annuum, having podlike, many-seeded, variously colored berries. (noun)
• The podlike fruit of any of these plants, varying in size, shape, and degree of pungency, with the milder types including the bell pepper and pimiento, and the more pungent types including the cherry pepper. (noun)
• Any of various condiments made from the more pungent varieties of Capsicum frutescens, such as cayenne pepper, tabasco pepper, and chili. Also called hot pepper. (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.

• "For the burgers• 1½ pounds fresh tuna steaks, cut into 1/2-inch dice• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard• 1 tablespoon chipotle pepper in adobo purée• 1 tablespoon honey• 3 tablespoons canola oil• 2 green onions, green and pale-green part, thinly sliced• Salt and freshly ground pepper• 4 kaiser rolls• 2 ounces watercress• 1 red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced."
• "This native of India was probably the first pungent spice after mustard to be appreciated in Europe—the Greeks and Romans preferred it to black pepper—and it gave us our word pepper via its Sanskrit name pippali black pepper is marichi."
• "By many accounts, the name "pepper spray" is overly benign for a substance that can cause death and be used as a torture device."