chilli

IPA/ˈtʃɪli/
IPA/ˈtʃɪli/

chilli — noun

  • chillisingular
  • chiliesplural

1. a small, narrow vegetable with a hot, strong taste that grows on a pepper bush a

1.nounA2
Definition

a small, narrow vegetable with a hot, strong taste that grows on a pepper bush and is used fresh or dried to add heat to food

Example

Hoa chopped three fresh chillies and added them to the stir-fry.

countable noun: three fresh chillies

The recipe says to remove the seeds from the chilli before cooking.

Common collocations
  • fresh chilli
  • dried chilli
  • red chilli
  • green chilli
  • hot chilli
  • mild chilli
  • chop a chilli
  • slice a chilli
  • remove the seeds
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

a chilli

two chillies

Usage Note

British English spells the plural as 'chillies'. The plant itself is called a chilli plant. Do not confuse the spelling with 'chilly', which means cold.

Common Mistakes

I added chilly to the soup.
I added chilli to the soup.
'chilly' means cold; 'chilli' is the pepper or spice.

2. a hot, spicy dish made from cooked meat, beans, tomatoes, and chilli powder, ori

2.nounB1
Definition

a hot, spicy dish made from cooked meat, beans, tomatoes, and chilli powder, originally from northern Mexico, often served with rice or tortilla chips

Example

Diya made a large pot of chilli for the party on Saturday.

collocation: a pot of chilli

My grandmother's chilli recipe has been in the family for fifty years.

Common collocations
  • bowl of chilli
  • pot of chilli
  • make chilli
  • cook chilli
  • vegetarian chilli
  • spicy chilli
  • chilli recipe
  • chilli competition
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

bowl of chilli

make chilli

chilli with [ingredient]

Usage Note

The full name is 'chilli con carne', but most speakers shorten it to 'chilli'. The dish is typically uncountable ('some chilli'), though 'a chilli' can refer to one serving or a particular variety.

Common Mistakes

I ate a chilli for dinner' (meaning the dish).
I had chilli for dinner.
For the dish, 'chilli' is usually uncountable; 'a chilli' means a single pepper.

3. a deep-red spice obtained by crushing dried chillies into fine grains, used to m

3.nounA2
Definition

a deep-red spice obtained by crushing dried chillies into fine grains, used to make food taste hot in dishes such as curries, stews, and sauces

Example

Élise sprinkled a teaspoon of chilli powder into the sauce.

compound noun: chilli powder

Hiro keeps his chilli powder in a sealed glass jar away from sunlight.

Common collocations
  • chilli powder
  • teaspoon of chilli powder
  • pinch of chilli powder
  • add chilli powder
  • sprinkle chilli powder
  • smoked chilli powder
  • hot chilli powder
  • mild chilli powder
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

[quantity] of chilli powder

add chilli powder

Usage Note

In recipes the spice is often simply called 'chilli'. Do not confuse with paprika, which is made from milder peppers. Different types of dried chillies produce powders with very different levels of heat.

Common Mistakes

The recipe calls for two chillies' (when powder is meant).
The recipe calls for two teaspoons of chilli powder.
Use 'chilli powder' for the ground spice; 'chillies' means whole peppers.

Word family

  • chilli powder
    nounA2
  • chilli con carne
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe spicy peppers or products made from them, but they differ in scope. 'Chilli' is the general British English term for any hot pepper, fresh or dried. 'Hot pepper' is a broader category that overlaps with chilli but is used more in American English. 'Jalapeño' refers to a specific medium-hot green chilli variety, common in Mexican cuisine and widely available fresh. 'Cayenne' is both a specific slender red chilli and the powder made from it — when someone says 'cayenne' without context, they usually mean the ground spice rather than the whole pepper. For example: 'Ramón bit into a green chilli' (any hot variety), but 'Hiro added cayenne to the marinade' (the powder).

chilli ↗hot pepperjalapeño ↗cayenne

Common collocations

Nouns

  • chilli pepper
  • chilli plant
  • chilli recipe
  • chilli flavour
  • chilli heat

Adverbs

  • hotly spiced with chilli

Prepositions

  • with chilli
  • without chilli

Etymology

NahuatlSpanishEnglish

The word 'chilli' comes from 'chīlli', the Nahuatl (Aztec) name for the pepper. Spanish explorers brought the plant to Europe in the 16th century, and the word entered English through Spanish. The spelling 'chilli' (with double 'l') is standard in British English, while American English prefers 'chili'.