jalapeño

American  

[hah-luh-peyn-yoh, hah-lah-pe-nyaw] / ˌhɑ ləˈpeɪn yoʊ, ˌhɑ lɑˈpɛ nyɔ /

Or jalapeno

noun

plural

jalapeños

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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Etymology

Origin of jalapeño

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

Example Sentences

It was filled with spicy tuna, cilantro, and jalapeño, topped with more tuna, sauce, and tobiko, and it was excellent!

From Salon

The company launched limited-edition flavors such as pizza, garlic Parmesan and, recently, apple pie, and jalapeño and ranch as permanent additions.

From The Wall Street Journal

MCG pitches have been spicy ever since, culminating in this year's jalapeno.

From BBC

“Yep. Going right by there. Jalapeño chips? Diet Coke, light on the ice?”

From Literature

A pizzeria near the airport features a pie named for Joe Biden, though Mr. Biden found the featured jalapeño too spicy when he tried it during a visit in 2023.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• chili pepper
• hot pepper
• red pepper