n. 辣椒

Pepper \Pep"per\, n. [OE. peper, AS. pipor, L. piper, fr. Gr. ?,
?, akin to Skr. pippala, pippali.]
1. A well-known, pungently aromatic condiment, the dried
berry, either whole or powdered, of the {Piper nigrum}.

Note: Common, 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.

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.

3. Any plant of the genus Capsicum, and its fruit; red
pepper; as, the bell pepper.

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.

{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} (Zo["o]l.), 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}.


Cayenne \Cay*enne\, n. [From Cayenne, a town and island in
French Guiana, South America.]
Cayenne pepper.

{Cayenne pepper}.
(a) (Bot.) A species of {Capsicum} ({Capsicum frutescens})
with small and intensely pungent fruit.
(b) A very pungent spice made by drying and grinding the
fruits or seeds of several species of the genus
{Capsicum}, esp. {Capsicum annuum} and {Capsicum
Frutescens}; -- called also {red pepper}. It is used
chiefly as a condiment.