A hot pepper of the genus Capsicum, used as a spice and ingredient in cooking, ranging from mild to extremely spicy varieties.
From Nahuatl 'chilli' (the Aztec pepper plant) and English 'pepper' (from Sanskrit 'pippali'). The Nahuatl word for the capsicum fruit was adopted by Spanish conquistadors and spread worldwide, later combined with the English 'pepper'.
Chili peppers weren't known outside the Americas until Columbus arrived—now they're used in cuisines worldwide and have changed human cooking forever! The word itself is a perfect example of global cultural exchange.
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