Webster's English Dictionary

Enter the word to look up:

pepper

1. pep.per \'pep-*r\ n [ME peper, fr. OE pipor; akin to OHG pfeffar pepper; 
   both fr.] often attrib  a prehistoric WGmc-NGmc word borrowed fr. L piper 
   pepper, fr. Gk peperi 1a: a pungent product from the fruit of an East 
   Indian plant (Piper nigr um) used as a carminative dr stimulant and 
   consisting of (1) the entire dried berry or (2) the dried seeds divested of 
   membranes and pulp 1b: any of several somewhat similar products obtained 
   from other plants of  the same genus 1c: any of various pungent condiments 
   obtained from plants of other genera  - used with a qualifying term 2: any 
   of a genus (Piper of the family Piperaceae, the pepper family)  of tropical 
   mostly jointed climbing shrubs with aromatic leaves 3a: CAPSICUM, esp : a 
   New World capsicum (Capsicum frutesc ens) whose fruits are hot peppers or 
   sweet peppers 3b: the usu.  1a: consisting  3b: red or yellow fruit of a 
   pepper 
2. pepper \-(*-)rin\ \-*r-*r\ vt or pep.per.ing 1a: to sprinkle or season 
   with or as if with pepper  1b: to shower with shot or other missiles  2: to 
   hit with rapid repeated blows  3: to sprinkle as pepper is sprinkled  - 
   pep.per.er n