Plural of chile; hot peppers, especially those used in cooking, or a colloquial spelling of the country Chile's plural reference.
From Spanish 'chile,' which comes from Nahuatl 'chilli,' the Aztec word for the hot pepper plant. The Spanish conquistadors encountered this plant in Mexico and borrowed the indigenous word, spreading it globally.
The word 'chiles' traveled from Aztec Mexico through Spanish conquest to Spanish kitchens, then worldwide—it's one of the few Nahuatl words that became truly global, ranking with 'chocolate,' 'tomato,' and 'avocado' as Mesoamerican words that transformed world cuisine.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.