chile

¹

[chil-ee]

noun

1. 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.

2. chili.

chile

²

[chahyl]

noun

1. a phonetic spelling of child, representing dialectal speech of the Southern United States or African American Vernacular English.

   Oh, chile, you do not want to test me!

Chile

³

[chil-ee, chee-le]

noun

1. a republic in southwestern South America, on the Pacific Coast. 286,396 square miles (741,765 square kilometers). Santiago.

Chile

¹

/ ˈtʃɪlɪ /

noun

1. a republic in South America, on the Pacific, with a total length of about 4090 km (2650 miles) and an average width of only 177 km (110 miles): gained independence from Spain in 1818; the government of President Allende (elected 1970) attempted the implementation of Marxist policies within a democratic system until overthrown by a military coup (1973); democracy restored 1988. Chile consists chiefly of the Andes in the east, the Atacama Desert in the north, a central fertile region, and a huge S region of almost uninhabitable mountains, glaciers, fjords, and islands; an important producer of copper, iron ore, nitrates, etc. Language: Spanish. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: peso. Capital: Santiago. Pop: 17 216 945 (2013 est). Area: 756 945 sq km (292 256 sq miles)

chile

²

/ ˈtʃɪlɪ /

noun

1. a variant spelling of chilli

Chile

1. Republic in southern South America on the western slope of the Andes. Chile is a long, narrow strip of land bordered by Peru to the north, Bolivia and Argentina to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the south and west. Its capital and largest city is Santiago.

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.

Other Word Forms

• Chilean adjective
• pseudo-Chilean adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of chile¹

First recorded in 1855–60; variant spelling of chili ( def. )

Origin of chile²

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Estrada grew up in Pico Rivera, where her mom tended roses and her dad grew lots of chile peppers in pots.

From Los Angeles Times

Made with sour cream, cream cheese and cheddar that’s flavored with roasted Hatch chiles and jalapeños, the dip doesn’t skimp on dairy or heat.

From Salon

There’s this swirled labneh with sizzled scallions and chile, Alison Roman’s quiet luxury take on ranch, a sauce with posture and snap.

From Salon

Country Club Marketplace’s anchor craft brewery boasts ingredients ranging from chile peppers to fresh dates.

From Los Angeles Times

I’m getting the flavored shrimp, the crispy chicken with the chile peppers, the eggplant, the tomato and egg soup, the Chengdu fried rice and the green beans.

From Los Angeles Times