/ ˈpepə(r); NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ U ] a powder made from dried berries (called peppercorns ), used to give a hot flavour to food :
Season with salt and pepper
freshly ground pepper
—see also black pepper , cayenne , white pepper
2.
[ C , U ] ( BrE ) (also ˈsweet pepper BrE , NAmE ) ( NAmE ˈbell pepper ) a hollow fruit, usually red, green or yellow, eaten as a vegetable either raw or cooked
■ verb
[ vn ] to put pepper on food :
peppered steak
Salt and pepper the potatoes.
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PHRASAL VERBS
- pepper sb/sth with sth
- pepper sth with sth
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English piper , pipor , of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch peper and German Pfeffer ; via Latin from Greek peperi , from Sanskrit pippalī berry, peppercorn.