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Definition of jalapeno

jalapeno

/ˌhɑː.ləˈpeɪ.njoʊ/
ja · la · pe · no

Plural:jalapenos
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jalapeno Lexical Profile

jalapeno Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A medium-sized, moderately hot chili pepper (a cultivar of Capsicum annuum) commonly used in Mexican cuisine, usually harvested and eaten while green but occasionally allowed to ripen to a red color.

Example

"She decided to leave the seeds in the diced jalapeno to add an extra layer of heat to the homemade salsa."


2

The bushy nightshade plant native to Mexico that yields the jalapeno pepper.

Example

"He planted a jalapeno in the garden box, hoping for a bountiful harvest of spicy peppers by late summer."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for jalapeno

Word Nuance & Usage

Frequently spelled with a tilde as 'jalapeño' in written English to accurately reflect its Spanish orthography and pronunciation.

• Rhymes for jalapeno

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish 'jalapeño', meaning 'from Jalapa' (now spelled Xalapa), the capital city of Veracruz, Mexico, where the pepper was traditionally cultivated.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Jalapeno. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/jalapeno
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