Also called chile pepper,. Also called chili pepper. the pod of any of several species of Capsicum, especially C. annuum longum: used in cooking for its pungent flavor.
Pinochet suppressed human rights and political activity until he lost a plebiscite in 1988. A successor was chosen in free elections. In 1998, Pinochet was arrested in Great Britain on a Spanish warrant, but a court ruled him too ill to stand trial. He returned to Chile, where attempts to prosecute him continued.
In 1973, General Augusto Pinochet led a coup that overthrew President Salvador Allende, a Marxist.
First recorded in 1855–60; variant spelling of chili ( def. )
First recorded in 1860–65
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Is this the best green chile cheeseburger in Albuquerque?
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
He honed his craft during the pandemic, developing flavors like red mole topped with sesame, and a Mexican everything spice blend that includes garlic, onion, toasted cumin and ancho chile with a hint of lime.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026
Next door at El Ruso, owner Walter Soto chopped carne asada while his wife, Julia, took orders: two chile colorado; three birria; no onions, please.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2026
F&F’s tender, pillowy pies come in variations like hot sausage and brown-butter sage, and a clam pizza with fresh lemon and red chile flakes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2025
“What you mean, chile? Is Miz Isabelle ailin’?” “No, she’s sleeping. She doesn’t know yet.”
From "Copper Sun" by Sharon M. Draper
Norway, Chile and Australia and that the company is forging ahead with plants and assembly partners in Europe and the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
But when two rescuers from Chile and the United States finally reached him after more than three days of complex operations, Gil couldn't bring himself to rejoice.
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
“There aren’t many successful cases of people being rescued alive after seven days trapped in a building,” Mario Armenteras, an emergency worker from Chile, told reporters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026
The other came in 1962, when Brazil's Garrincha was sent off against Chile in the semi-final, but played in the victory over Czechoslovakia in the final.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
Does he tell anyone in Chile his tragic story?
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
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.
