chilli

American

[chil-ee] / ˈtʃɪl i /

noun

Chiefly British. variant of chili.

chilli British

/ ˈtʃɪlɪ /

noun

the small red hot-tasting pod of a type of capsicum used for flavouring sauces, pickles, etc

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

chillies

plural

Etymology

Origin of chilli

C17: from Spanish chile, from Nahuatl chilli

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.

Indonesians eat a hot sauce known as sambal made of chilli, garlic, shallots and aromatics with just about every meal.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

Monthly inflation in Indonesia doubled in May, driven by food prices and particularly chilli in the hot sauce-addicted country, the BPS statistics agency said Tuesday.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

The substance is believed to have been an irritant spray, identified by authorities as likely containing capsaicin - which is found in chilli peppers.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

Meals include beef chilli, Thai red curry, and haggis, neeps and tatties - with the hope of adding fresh fish caught at sea.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2025

I’d done grilled prawns with lots of chilli and coriander, and we were drinking this delicious Chenin Blanc that he’d been given by a grateful client.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023