| pepper | 1. A well-known, pungently aromatic condiment, the dried berry, either whole or powdered, of the Piper nigrum. Common, or black, pepper is made from the whole berry, dried just before maturity; white pepper is made from the ripe berry after the outer skin has been removed by maceration and friction. It has less of the peculiar properties of the plant than the black pepper. Pepper is used in medicine as a carminative stimulant. 2. <botany> The plant which yields pepper, an East Indian woody climber (Piper nigrum), with ovate leaves and apetalous flowers in spikes opposite the leaves. The berries are red when ripe. Also, by extension, any one of the several hundred species of the genus Piper, widely dispersed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the earth. 3. Any plant of the genus Capsicum, and its fruit; red pepper; as, the bell pepper. The term pepper has been extended to various other fruits and plants, more or less closely resembling the true pepper, especially. To the common varieties of Capsicum. See Capsicum, and the Phrases, below. African pepper, the Guinea pepper. See Guinea. Cayenne pepper. See Cayenne. Chinese pepper, the spicy berries of the Xanthoxylum piperitum, a species of prickly ash found in China and Japan. Guinea pepper. See Guinea, and Capsicum. Jamaica pepper. See Allspice. Long pepper. The spike of berries of Piper longum, an East Indian shrub. The root of Piper, or Macropiper, methysticum. See Kava. Malaguetta, or Meleguetta, pepper, the aromatic seeds of the Amomum Melegueta, an African plant of the Ginger family. They are sometimes used to flavor beer, etc, under the name of grains of Paradise. Red pepper. See Capsicum. <botany> Sweet pepper bush, an aromatic tree (Drimys axillaris) of the Magnolia family, common in New Zealand. See Peruvian mastic tree, under Mastic. Origin: OE. Peper, AS. Pipor, L. Piper, fr. Gr, akin to Skr. Pippala, pippali. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| pepper and salt fundus | Ophthalmoscopic appearance of the fundus caused by choriocapillaris atrophy and pigment proliferation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pepper dulse | <botany> A variety of edible seaweed (Laurencia pinnatifida) distinguished for its pungency. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| pepper syndrome | <radiology> Primary adrenal neuroblastoma, massive hepatomegaly from metastases (12 Dec 1998) |
| pepperbrand | <botany> See 1st Bunt. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| peppergrass | <botany> Any herb of the cruciferous genus Lepidium, especially the garden peppergrass, or garden cress, Lepidium sativum; called also pepperwort. All the species have a pungent flavor. The common pillwort of Europe (Pilularia globulifera). See Pillwort. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| pepperidge | <botany> A North American tree (Nyssa multiflora) with very tough wood, handsome oval polished leaves, and very acid berries, the sour gum, or common tupelo. See Tupelo. <botany> Alternative forms: piperidge and pipperidge] Pepperidge bush, the barberry. Origin: Cf. NL. Berberis, E. Barberry. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| peppermint | 1. <botany> An aromatic and pungent plant of the genus Mentha (M. Piperita), much used in medicine and confectionery. 2. A volatile oil (oil of peppermint) distilled from the fresh herb; also, a well-known essence or spirit (essence of peppermint) obtained from it. 3. A lozenge of sugar flavored with peppermint. Peppermint camphor. <chemistry> Same as Menthol. <botany> Peppermint tree, a name given to several Australian species of gum tree (Eucalyptus amygdalina, E. Piperita, E. Odorata, etc) which have hard and durable wood, and yield an essential oil. Origin: Pepper + mint. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| peppermint camphor | <chemistry> A white, crystalline, aromatic substance resembling camphor, extracted from oil of peppermint (Mentha). Synonym: mint camphor or peppermint camphor. Origin: Mentha + -ol. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| peppermint oil | The volatile oil distilled with steam from the fresh, overground parts of the flowering plant of Mentha piperita, rectified by distillation and neither partially nor wholly dementholised; a flavor. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pepperwort | <botany> See Peppergrass. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |