n.
Pronunciation: ' kap-si-k ə m
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin, perhaps from Latin capsa
Date: 1588
1 a : any of a genus ( Capsicum ) of tropical American herbs and shrubs of the nightshade family widely cultivated for their many-seeded usually fleshy-walled berries ― called also pepper b : PEPPER 3B
2 : an oleoresin derived from the fruit of some capsicums that contains capsaicin and related compounds and is used medicinally especially as a topical pain reliever