n.
- a pungent, hot-tasting powder prepared from dried and ground peppercorns, used to flavour food.
- a climbing vine with berries that are dried as black or white peppercorns.
[Piper nigrum.]
▸used in names of related plants having hot-tasting leaves, or fruits used as a pungent spice, e.g. Jamaica pepper, water pepper.
- a capsicum, especially a sweet pepper.
▸a reddish and typically hot-tasting spice prepared from various forms of capsicum.
- Baseball a practice game in which a fielder throws at close range to a batter who hits back to the fielder.
v.
- sprinkle or season with pepper.
-
(usu. be peppered with)
scatter liberally over or through.
- hit repeatedly with small missiles or gunshot.
- archaic inflict severe punishment or suffering upon.
Etymology
OE piper, pipor, of W. Gmc origin; via L. from Gk peperi, from Sanskrit pippalī ‘berry, peppercorn’.