a hot, biting condiment composed of the ground pods and seeds of the pepper Capsicum annuum longum.
the long, wrinkled, twisted fruit of this plant.
the plant itself.
a seaport in and the capital of French Guiana.
Also called cayenne whist. (lowercase) a variety of whist played with two full packs of 52 cards each.
1750–60; short for cayenne pepper, formerly cayan < Tupi kyinha, but long associated with Cayenne
Cayenne is a hot pepper plant. A cayenne is related to a green bell pepper, but it's much spicier. Most cayenne is eaten as a spice — seeds from the plant are dried and ground, then judiciously sprinkled in dishes like chili and Buffalo wings. In its dry form, cayenne is a bright red powder. The word cayennne was mistakenly associated with the capital of French Guiana, Cayenne, though there's actually no relation between the place and the plant. Instead, the root is the Tupi word kyynha.
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
A hit of Worcestershire deepens the savoriness, and a dusting of cayenne on the finished dish offers a quiet jolt, just enough to make you notice it.
From Salon • Dec. 18, 2025
Her family’s version of gumbo starts with chicken thighs, which are seasoned with paprika, cayenne, oregano and salt.
From Salon • Dec. 15, 2025
The fried chicken is typically coated in a mixture of cayenne and paprika that singes the tongue.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 15, 2025
“Well, I hope you left some suitable excuse,” said her husband, somewhat appeased, as he added a dash of cayenne pepper to the soup.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
