jalapeño

American  

[hah-luh-payn-yoh, hah-lah-pe-nyaw] / ˌhɑ ləˈpeɪn joʊ, ˌhɑ lɑˈpɛ njɔ /

Or jalapeno

noun

• jalapeños
  plural

1. a hot green or orange-red chile pepper, the fruit of a variety of Capsicum annuum, used especially in Mexican cooking.

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jalapeño British  

/ dʒæləˈpiːnəʊ, xalaˈpenjo /

noun

1. Also: jalapeño pepper. a very hot type of green chilli pepper, used esp in Mexican cookery

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• jalapeños
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of jalapeño

First recorded in 1935–40; from Mexican Spanish ( chile ) jalapeño “(chile of) Jalapa ”; see also chile ¹ ( def. )

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Explanation

A jalapeno is a small hot pepper, and it's also the name of the plant that grows these peppers. To make salsa, you need tomatoes, jalapenos, and a few other ingredients. Most fans of Mexican food are familiar with green jalapenos, the usual stage at which they're picked. If you leave the peppers on the plant, however, the jalapenos eventually turn bright red. In English, the word is spelled either with or without the tilde accent over the n. This accent makes it clear that jalapeño is a Spanish word — and it means "of Jalapa," a place in Mexico known as the birthplace of the jalapeno.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jalapeño jalapeños

Fresh basil and jalapeño cheerfully uplift each bite.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Last night, I made one with cucumber, jalapeño, honey, sparkling water and ginger.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Directions Combine the shrimp, fish or chickpeas with the lime juice, onion, jalapeño and cilantro.

From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2026

He remembers his little toy bank shaped like Pique, the anthropomorphic jalapeño pepper that was Mexico’s tournament mascot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

I ate jalapeño chiles with my sandwiches to give them flavor.

From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez

The chain cut its full-year outlook, expecting same-store sales to drop 7% to 8%, after food-safety scares hit industry lettuce and jalapeños.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

And early this month, public-health authorities said they were investigating a salmonella outbreak associated with jalapeños served at certain restaurants.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

And this week brought another recall: The company pulled prepared foods, including salsa and guacamole sold under brands such as Trader Joe’s and Walmart’s Freshness Guaranteed, after receiving jalapeños connected to a multistate Salmonella outbreak.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

Taylor Farms also received imported jalapeños from the same Mexican farm.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

“Long as there are jalapeños, count me in,” says Alex.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

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Related Words

• chili pepper
• hot pepper
• red pepper

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