pepper
B1Neutral
Definition
Meaning
A pungent, hot-tasting spice made from the dried berries of certain plants, typically ground; a capsicum fruit.
Something with a sharp or pungent quality; to sprinkle or cover with small particles or dots; to hit repeatedly with small missiles or rapid blows.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primary meaning refers to the spice (black pepper) and the vegetable (bell pepper, chili pepper). Verb meanings derive from the action of sprinkling pepper or hitting repeatedly.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The vegetable 'bell pepper' is commonly called 'pepper' in both, but UK may specify 'capsicum' in some contexts. 'Chili pepper' is more common in US; UK often uses 'chilli'.
Connotations
Similar. Verb 'to pepper with questions' is equally common.
Frequency
Both high frequency. Slight UK preference for 'chilli'; US for 'chili pepper' or 'bell pepper'.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
pepper something with somethingpepper somebody/something (with something)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “salt and pepper hair”
- “pepper someone with questions”
- “not worth a peppercorn”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except metaphorically ('the market was peppered with new startups').
Academic
In botany, culinary history, or as a metaphor in linguistics/social sciences ('a speech peppered with technical terms').
Everyday
Very common in cooking, gardening, and informal speech for repeated actions ('they peppered the goal with shots').
Technical
In chemistry (piperine), botany (Piper nigrum, Capsicum genus), and self-defence (pepper spray).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The journalist peppered the minister with difficult questions.
- The old wall was peppered with bullet holes.
American English
- He peppered his presentation with statistics.
- The quarterback was peppered with blitzes all game.
adverb
British English
- No standard adverbial form. 'Pepperily' is extremely rare and non-standard.
American English
- No standard adverbial form. 'Pepperily' is extremely rare and non-standard.
adjective
British English
- He has a peppery temper.
- The dish had a lovely peppery finish.
American English
- She gave a peppery response to the critic.
- This arugula has a peppery taste.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I add salt and pepper to my food.
- The bell pepper is red.
- Could you pass the pepper, please?
- She doesn't like black pepper in her soup.
- The region is famous for growing high-quality black pepper.
- His report was peppered with grammatical errors.
- The critic's review was unsparing, peppered with acerbic wit.
- The infantry advance was peppered by sniper fire from the ridge.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a PEP squad (lively, energetic) hitting you repeatedly with tiny, sharp chants, like pepper being sprinkled.
Conceptual Metaphor
INTENSITY IS SPICINESS (e.g., 'a peppery remark'); COVERAGE/DENSITY IS SPRINKLING (e.g., 'a report peppered with errors'); REPETITION/ATTACK IS SPRAYING (e.g., 'peppered with bullets').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse 'pepper' (перец) with 'paper' (бумага) in pronunciation.
- 'Bell pepper' is сладкий перец or болгарский перец, not just 'pepper'.
- The verb 'to pepper' (осыпать, усыпать) is often overlooked.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'pepper' as a countable noun for the spice ('I need a pepper' vs 'I need some pepper').
- Confusing 'peppercorn' (whole berry) with 'ground pepper'.
- Misspelling as 'peper'.
- Incorrect collocation: 'pepper and salt' (less common than 'salt and pepper').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is NOT a common meaning of the verb 'to pepper'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
They are completely different plants. Black pepper is a spice from the dried berries of the Piper nigrum vine. Bell pepper (or capsicum) is a sweet, hollow vegetable from the Capsicum annuum species.
Yes, though less common. E.g., 'She peppered her talk with amusing anecdotes' implies enriching or livening something up.
It depends. The spice is generally uncountable ('add some pepper'). The vegetable is countable ('buy three peppers'). In the verb form, it's a regular verb.
It's an idiomatic British legal term for a very low, nominal rent, historically sometimes literally a single peppercorn. It signifies a token payment.
Collections
Part of a collection
Food and Drink
A1 · 49 words · Common words for food, drink and meals.
Food and Cooking
A2 · 50 words · Cooking methods, kitchen tools and recipes.