pepper

n. & v.
—n.
1 a a hot aromatic condiment from the dried berries of certain plants used whole or ground. b any climbing vine of the genus Piper, esp. P. nigrum, yielding these berries.
2 anything hot or pungent.
3 a any plant of the genus Capsicum, esp. C. annuum. b the fruit of this used esp. as a vegetable or salad ingredient.
4 = CAYENNE.
—v.tr.
1 sprinkle or treat with or as if with pepper.
2 a pelt with missiles. b hurl abuse etc. at.
3 punish severely.
Phrases and idioms:
black pepper the unripe ground or whole berries of Piper nigrum as a condiment. green pepper the unripe fruit of Capsicum annuum. pepper-mill a device for grinding pepper by hand. pepper-pot 1 a small container with a perforated lid for sprinkling pepper.
2 a W. Indian dish of meat etc. stewed with cayenne pepper.
3 colloq. a Jamaican. red (or yellow) pepper the ripe fruit of Capsicum annuum. sweet pepper a pepper with a relatively mild taste. white pepper the ripe or husked ground or whole berries of Piper nigrum as a condiment.
Etymology: OE piper, pipor f. L piper f. Gk peperi f. Skr. pippali- berry, peppercorn