chiltepin

noun

chil·​te·​pin ˈchil-tə-ˌpēn How to pronounce chiltepin (audio)
variants or less commonly chiltepine
: a small red oblong wild chili pepper of marked pungency that is produced by a capsicum (Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum synonym C. annuum aviculare) occurring from northern South America to northern Mexico and the southwestern U.S.
also : this plant

Examples of chiltepin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Piñatas dangle above tables, everything tinged with the heat of wild chiltepin peppers. Chris Malloy, Bon Appétit, 18 Jan. 2023 The most traditional version ripples with the heat of chiltepin chile and has a limey pucker to rival Gilberto Cetina’s tautest citrus marinades at Holbox. Bill Addisonrestaurant Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2023 At the table, Ms. Ronstadt asked for extra salsa and sprinkled a bit of the intense, indigenous chiltepin pepper on a stew made with 60-day corn and a squash called ha:l, both of which the Tohono O’odham people have grown for centuries. Kim Severson, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2022 Redolent with ghost peppers, Scotch bonnets, serranos, chiltepin peppers, mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns and more, the following spicy dishes from around the world bring the heat in the most delicious way. Terry Ward, CNN, 27 Oct. 2022 For the Elimination challenge, the chefs are asked to create two dishes, one savory and one sweet, using chiltepin pepper and cactus. Lauren McDowell, Chron, 2 June 2022 While the jalapeño is Texas' official pepper, the chiltepin is the native state pepper. Megha McSwain, Chron, 20 May 2022 Wild chiltepin peppers, grown on his family’s ranch in Sonora, Mexico, have received much fanfare. Sunset Magazine, 11 May 2022 The first issue came out on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Oct. 11, and featured a series of essays about the history of the chiltepin, a type of pepper, as well as information and recipes around yuca, also known as cassava. Nicole Haase, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 30 Nov. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Mexican Spanish chiltepín, from Nahuatl chīltecpin, from chīlli chili pepper + tecpin, tecpintli flea

First Known Use

1985, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chiltepin was in 1985

Dictionary Entries Near chiltepin

Cite this Entry

“Chiltepin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chiltepin. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!