piperine

American

[pip-uh-reen, -er-in] / ˈpɪp əˌrin, -ər ɪn /

noun

Chemistry.

a white, crystalline alkaloid, C 1 7 H 1 9 NO 3 , obtained from pepper and other piperaceous plants and also prepared synthetically: used as an insecticide.

piperine British

/ ˈpɪpəˌraɪn, -rɪn /

noun

a crystalline insoluble alkaloid that is the active ingredient of pepper, used as a flavouring and as an insecticide. Formula: C 17 H 19 NO 3

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of piperine

1810–20; < Latin piper pepper + -ine ¹

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.

Plant-based supplements containing quercetin, curcumin, and piperine improved fatigue compared with placebo.

From Science Daily • Jan. 8, 2026

That’s where piperine from black pepper comes in.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 11, 2023

This layer, along with the surface layers of the seed within, contains the main compound responsible for the spice’s characteristic pungent flavor: piperine.

From Washington Post • Feb. 11, 2022

Regarded as the world's most traded spice, black pepper gets its spicy warmth from a compound called piperine.

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2022

Pepper owes its properties to an alkaloid, piperine, and to a volatile oil.

From Human Foods and Their Nutritive Value by Snyder, Harry

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023