pepperoni
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of pepperoni
1920–25, < Italian peperoni, plural of peperone cayenne pepper plant, augmentative of pepe pepper
Explanation
Pepperoni is a flavorful sausage that's usually cut in thin slices. On pizza night, you and your sister might argue about toppings: you prefer pepperoni, while she likes mushrooms and olives. Officially, pepperoni is a variety of salami, a sausage that makes most people think of sandwiches rather than pizza. Usually pepperoni is bright red, with a peppery, smoky flavor and a soft, chewy texture. Rather than black pepper, most pepperoni is flavored with paprika, a seasoning made from sweet bell peppers. The origin of the name backs this up: it comes from the Italian peperone, "bell pepper."
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.
It was the only thing within a multi-gate radius — a landscape of breakfast smash burgers and pepperoni pizza bagels — that didn’t make me queasy.
From Salon ● Mar. 9, 2026
It did have cheese, though, and pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, onion, and green peppers.
From Slate ● Nov. 13, 2025
For him that means a tightly edited menu of classics like pepperoni, meatball and a white pie with mushrooms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2025
It could be as simple as swapping out an ingredient or two in a pepperoni pizza or corn dog.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2025
“Yes, but you love it! You and Grandpa would always eat an entire large pepperoni pizza by yourselves!”
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
