paprika

American  

[pa-pree-kuh, puh-, pah-, pap-ri-kuh] / pæˈpri kə, pə-, pɑ-, ˈpæp rɪ kə /

noun

1. a red, powdery condiment derived from dried, ripe sweet peppers.

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adjective

1. cooked or seasoned with paprika.

paprika British  

/ ˈpæprɪkə, pæˈpriː- /

noun

1. a mild powdered seasoning made from a sweet variety of red pepper

2. the fruit or plant from which this seasoning is obtained

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Etymology

Origin of paprika

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Hungarian, from Serbo-Croatian pàprika “pepper, paprika,” derivative of pȁpar “ground pepper,” from unattested Slavic pĭprŭ, pĭprĭ (compare Old Church Slavonic pĭprŭ, Slovenian péper, Czech pepř, Polish pieprz ), ultimately from Latin piper pepper

Example Sentences

Its paprika and gentle heat bloom in the oven, perfuming everything around it.

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026

A bag of frozen mini-beef meatballs, dusted generously with paprika and garlic powder, will absolutely get you there.

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026

For instance, fraudsters add widely available industrial dyes to paprika.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

Some of my most successful table spreads have included cloudberry jam from Norway, hot sauce from Belize, Japanese matcha, paprika chips from Spain, Portuguese sardines and dukkah, an Egyptian spice mix.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

The cook had followed the recipe to perfection: chunks of tender stew meat simmered with onions, garlic, potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and tomatoes, seasoned with caraway and, of course, the paprika.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood