black pepper

American  

noun

1. a hot, sharp condiment prepared from the dried berries of a tropical vine, Piper nigrum.

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black pepper British  

noun

1. a pungent condiment made by grinding the dried unripe berries, together with their black husks, of the pepper plant Piper nigrum

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Compare meaning

How does black-pepper compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• white pepper vs. black pepper

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

black pepper

I use the zest of a whole lemon rather than its juice — lots of brightness, no unnecessary liquid — plus dried thyme, garlic, onion and enough black pepper to make itself known.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

For the binder, I whisked together an egg, a little buttermilk and chicken stock that I’d fortified with an extra spoonful of Better Than Bouillon and an absurd amount of black pepper.

From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026

The first sheet becomes the main course: four crisp, savory egg tarts with pancetta, pecorino and enough black pepper to evoke cacio e pepe.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

These are exactly what they sound like: tiny oyster crackers tossed with butter, olive oil, Pecorino and far more black pepper than feels reasonable.

From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026

I thought Viola should give up and leave them alone, but I reconsidered after discovering that the black pepper in the egg salad was not pepper at all.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly