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.
Curious, I whipped up a batch and used it as a dipping sauce for a slice of her first-rate pepperoni pizza.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Top your mocktail with fried bacon, cheese on skewers and pepperoni.
From Salon ● Jan. 18, 2026
But the people who worked and ate at the Moscow Pizza Huts still remember the pepperoni and the red-checkered tablecloths and what they represented: In Russia, change wasn’t always an empty promise.
From Slate ● Nov. 13, 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
“I’m relaxed and centered enough,” I tell her, helping myself to a slice with pepperoni.
From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass
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.
