cayenne
cayenne Lexical Profile
• noun
A very hot, finely ground red powder made from the dried fruits and seeds of certain chili peppers, widely used in cooking as a pungent seasoning.
"The chef added a pinch of cayenne to the chocolate ganache to give the dessert a subtle, warming heat."
A long, slender, tapering pungent chili pepper, the cultivar of Capsicum annuum (family Solanaceae) native to tropical America that turns bright red when ripe and is used fresh or dried as a culinary vegetable.
"We harvested a basket of fresh red cayennes from the garden to string up and dry for the winter."
The capital and largest port city of French Guiana, an overseas department of France located on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America.
• Rhymes for cayenne
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via French from the Old Tupi word 'kyynha', meaning capsicum or hot pepper; historically associated with and reinforcing the name of Cayenne, the capital of French Guiana.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.