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.

---

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

---

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

Explanation

Paprika is a bright red spice that's made from dried bell peppers. If you've ever tasted Hungarian goulash, you're familiar with the flavor of paprika. While it's common to associate paprika with Hungarian and other Eastern European cuisines, it's actually used all over the world. You'll find paprika flavoring Spanish dishes like gambas al ajillo (shrimp with garlic), Moroccan lentils, and even sprinkled on top of deviled eggs at a North American picnic. Paprika is a Hungarian word from a Latin root, piper, or "pepper."

Example Sentences

Layer in additional paprika — a blend of smoked and sweet.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

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

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

Back home, after the train ride, I washed and dried the mushrooms and sent them sizzling into a pan with shallots, garlic, salt, pepper and an indecent amount of smoked paprika.

From Salon • Dec. 28, 2025

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

They got under way slicing ham, laying out fried chicken, shaking paprika on the deviled eggs.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd