¦ noun
1. a pungent, hot-tasting powder prepared from dried and ground peppercorns, used to flavour food.
2. a climbing vine with berries that are dried as black or white peppercorns. [Piper nigrum.]
used in names of related plants having hot-tasting leaves, or fruits used as a pungent spice, e.g. Jamaica pepper, water pepper.
3. a capsicum, especially a sweet pepper.
a reddish and typically hot-tasting spice prepared from various forms of capsicum.
4. Baseball a practice game in which a fielder throws at close range to a batter who hits back to the fielder.
¦ verb
1. sprinkle or season with pepper.
2. (usu. be peppered with) scatter liberally over or through.
3. hit repeatedly with small missiles or gunshot.
4. archaic inflict severe punishment or suffering upon.
Origin
OE piper, pipor, of W. Gmc origin; via L. from Gk peperi, from Sanskrit pippali 'berry, peppercorn'.