a hot, biting condiment composed of the ground pods and seeds of the pepper Capsicum annuum longum.
the long, wrinkled, twisted fruit of this plant.
the plant itself.
a seaport in and the capital of French Guiana.
Also called cayenne whist. (lowercase) a variety of whist played with two full packs of 52 cards each.
1750–60; short for cayenne pepper, formerly cayan < Tupi kyinha, but long associated with Cayenne
Cayenne is a hot pepper plant. A cayenne is related to a green bell pepper, but it's much spicier. Most cayenne is eaten as a spice — seeds from the plant are dried and ground, then judiciously sprinkled in dishes like chili and Buffalo wings. In its dry form, cayenne is a bright red powder. The word cayennne was mistakenly associated with the capital of French Guiana, Cayenne, though there's actually no relation between the place and the plant. Instead, the root is the Tupi word kyynha.
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"They used to have bread with every meal, which is a Mexican thing, and put cayenne pepper on everything. Absolutely everything. They both still spoke Spanish," says Martin.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
You could, of course, build this blend from individual jars — thyme, oregano, paprika, cayenne — but these pantry workhorses are weeknight shortcuts to complexity.
From Salon • Feb. 24, 2026
Some Rams players reportedly put cayenne pepper in their socks to keep the heat in their feet.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 18, 2026
The cafe now offers six varieties and Ms Geraedts said customers loved the dish's rich, comforting flavour, seasoned with cayenne pepper, nutmeg, paprika and Worcestershire sauce.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2025
“Well, I hope you left some suitable excuse,” said her husband, somewhat appeased, as he added a dash of cayenne pepper to the soup.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
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.
