pepper

A strong-tasting powder, usually black, added to food to give it more flavor.

• Add a little pepper to the soup.
• Would you like salt and pepper?
• She ground fresh pepper over the salad.

Common phrases: black pepper, salt and pepper, ground pepper, freshly ground pepper

A plant whose small fruits are used to make a strong-tasting spice.

• Pepper grows well in warm, wet weather.
• The farmer planted pepper near the trees.
• These pepper vines will produce berries next year.

Common phrases: pepper plant, pepper vine, grow pepper

To add a strong-tasting black or white spice to food.

• Pepper the eggs before serving.
• She salted and peppered the potatoes.
• He always peppers his soup generously.

Similar words: season

Common phrases: pepper the soup, pepper the steak

To cover something with many small things spread across it.

• Tiny holes peppered the wall.
• The hills were peppered with small houses.
• Reporters peppered her with questions after the meeting.

How to use it: pepper something with something (The storm peppered the windows with hailstones.); be peppered with something (Her speech was peppered with jokes.)

Similar words: dot, sprinkle

Common phrases: pepper with something, pepper the surface