Pepper \Pep"per\ (p[e^]p"p[~e]r), n. [OE. peper, AS. pipor, L.
piper, fr. Gr. pe`peri, pi`peri, akin to Skr. pippala,
pippali.]
1. A well-known, pungently aromatic condiment, the dried
berry, either whole or powdered, of the {Piper nigrum}.
[1913 Webster]
Note: {Common pepper}, or {black pepper}, is made from the
whole berry, dried just before maturity; {white pepper}
is made from the ripe berry after the outer skin has
been removed by maceration and friction. It has less of
the peculiar properties of the plant than the black
pepper. Pepper is used in medicine as a carminative
stimulant.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Bot.) The plant which yields pepper, an East Indian woody
climber ({Piper nigrum}), with ovate leaves and apetalous
flowers in spikes opposite the leaves. The berries are red
when ripe. Also, by extension, any one of the several
hundred species of the genus {Piper}, widely dispersed
throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the
earth.
[1913 Webster]
3. Any plant of the genus {Capsicum} (of the {Solanaceae}
family, which are unrelated to {Piper}), and its fruit;
red pepper; chili pepper; as, the {bell pepper} and the
{jalapeno pepper} (both {Capsicum annuum}) and the
{habanero pepper} ({Capsicum chinense}); . These contain
varying levels of the substance {capsaicin} ({C18H27O3N}),
which gives the peppers their hot taste. The habanero is
about 25-50 times hotter than the jalapeno according to a
scale developed by Wilbur Scoville in 1912. See also
{Capsicum} and http://www.chili-pepper-plants.com/.
[1913 Webster + PJC]
Note: The term pepper has been extended to various other
fruits and plants, more or less closely resembling the
true pepper, esp. to the common varieties of
{Capsicum}. See {Capsicum}, and the Phrases, below.
[1913 Webster]
{African pepper}, the Guinea pepper. See under {Guinea}.
{Cayenne pepper}. See under {Cayenne}.
{Chinese pepper}, the spicy berries of the {Xanthoxylum piperitum}, a species of prickly ash found in China and
Japan.
{Guinea pepper}. See under {Guinea}, and {Capsicum}.
{Jamaica pepper}. See {Allspice}.
{Long pepper}.
(a) The spike of berries of {Piper longum}, an East Indian
shrub.
(b) The root of {Piper methysticum} (syn. {Macropiper methysticum}) of the family {Piperaceae}. See {Kava}.
{Malaguetta pepper}, or {Meleguetta pepper}, the aromatic
seeds of the {Amomum Melegueta}, an African plant of the
Ginger family. They are sometimes used to flavor beer,
etc., under the name of {grains of Paradise}.
{Red pepper}. See {Capsicum}.
{Sweet pepper bush} (Bot.), an American shrub ({Clethra alnifolia}), with racemes of fragrant white flowers; --
called also {white alder}.
{Pepper box} or {Pepper caster}, a small box or bottle, with
a perforated lid, used for sprinkling ground pepper on
food, etc.
{Pepper corn}. See in the Vocabulary.
{Pepper elder} (Bot.), a West Indian name of several plants
of the Pepper family, species of {Piper} and {Peperomia}.
{Pepper moth} (Zool.), a European moth ({Biston betularia})
having white wings covered with small black specks.
{Pepper pot}, a mucilaginous soup or stew of vegetables and
cassareep, much esteemed in the West Indies.
{Pepper root}. (Bot.). See {Coralwort}.
{pepper sauce}, a condiment for the table, made of small red
peppers steeped in vinegar.
{Pepper tree} (Bot.), an aromatic tree ({Drimys axillaris})
of the Magnolia family, common in New Zealand. See
{Peruvian mastic tree}, under {Mastic}.
[1913 Webster]
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