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’.