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Synonyms

cayenne pepper

British  
/ keɪˈɛn /

noun

  1. Also called: red pepper.  Often shortened to: cayenne.  a very hot condiment, bright red in colour, made from the dried seeds and pods of various capsicums

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cayenne pepper

C18: ultimately from Tupi quiynha

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"They used to have bread with every meal, which is a Mexican thing, and put cayenne pepper on everything. Absolutely everything. They both still spoke Spanish," says Martin.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

Indeed, there’s shakshuka: a popular North African and Middle Eastern dish that’s essentially eggs poached in a simmering tomato sauce spiced with cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

It comes with a side of chips that taste like they’re seasoned with chives or cayenne pepper.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2024

She used a mixture of cayenne pepper and honey to dress his wounds, according to the police report said.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 22, 2024

“And still somehow when you were a freshman, you ended up with shaving cream in your helmet and cayenne pepper on your jockstrap.”

From "Time Bomb" by Joelle Charbonneau

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