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Definition of habanero

habanero

/ˌhɑːbəˈnɛroʊ/
ha · ba · ne · ro
Plural:habaneros
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habanero Lexical Profile

habanero Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A small, lantern-shaped variety of chili pepper (Capsicum chinense) known for its intense heat, widely used in Mexican, Caribbean, and Central American cuisines.

Example

"She added a finely diced habanero to the mango salsa to give it a fiery, fruity kick."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for habanero

Word Nuance & Usage

English speakers frequently misspell and mispronounce the word with a tilde (as 'habañero') due to hypercorrection and confusion with 'jalapeño', but the correct spelling in both Spanish and English lacks the tilde.

• Rhymes for habanero

• Nearby Words

gyroscope
gyroscopic
ha
habanero
habenaria
haberdasher
haberdashery

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed into English in the mid-20th century from Spanish 'habanero', meaning 'from Havana' (the capital of Cuba). Despite the name, the pepper originated in the Amazon basin; Havana was simply a major historical trading hub for it.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Habanero. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 6, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/habanero
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