jalapeño

IPA/ˌhæl.əˈpeɪ.njəʊ/
IPA/ˌhɑː.ləˈpeɪ.njoʊ/

jalapeño — noun

  • jalapeñosingular
  • jalapeñosplural

1. a hot chili pepper often used in Mexican food, usually picked while green.

1.nounB2
Definition

a hot chili pepper often used in Mexican food, usually picked while green.

Example

Dewi chopped one jalapeño into the bean soup.

chop a jalapeño

Pickled jalapeños made Caleb's sandwich much hotter at lunch.

pickled jalapeños

Common collocations
  • fresh jalapeño
  • pickled jalapeños
  • slice a jalapeño
  • jalapeño salsa
  • jalapeño poppers
Synonyms
  • chili pepper

    broader; jalapeño is one specific kind of chili pepper

  • serrano

    a different chili that is usually thinner and hotter

Grammar Patterns

chop a jalapeño

pickled jalapeños

remove the seeds from a jalapeño

Usage Note

Usually countable. In recipes, writers often mention whether jalapeños are fresh, sliced, or pickled.

Common Mistakes

I bought two jalapeño for the salsa.
I bought two jalapeños for the salsa.
Use the regular plural when you count the peppers.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A jalapeño is a specific kind of chili pepper, so it is narrower than chili, which can mean many hot peppers. A serrano is another Mexican chili, but it is usually smaller and hotter than a jalapeño. Bell pepper is the clear contrast: it belongs to the same broad pepper family, yet it is mild and not used to add heat. People often mention jalapeños in salsa, burgers, and tacos when they want a fresh, bright heat instead of extreme fire. On a menu, jalapeño nachos suggest some spice. If you want the same crunchy look without the heat, ask for bell pepper slices instead.

jalapeño ↗chili ↗serranobell pepper

Etymology

NahuatlSpanishEnglish

Jalapeño came into English from Spanish. The Spanish word means 'from Jalapa' or 'from Xalapa', the Mexican city closely linked with this pepper. The place name itself goes back to Nahuatl, so the word reached English through Spanish from an Indigenous Mexican source.