peppercorn
peppercorn Lexical Profile
peppercorn Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The dried, berry-like fruit of the climbing vine Piper nigrum, used whole or ground as a pungent culinary spice.
"She crushed a few black peppercorns in the mortar to season the steak before grilling it."
A nominally small, insignificant payment or amount, often used in common law to establish a legally binding contract.
"The community center leases the historic building from the municipal government for a mere peppercorn."
Word Nuance & Usage
In legal and property contexts, a 'peppercorn' is frequently used to denote a token or nominal payment (e.g., 'peppercorn rent') to satisfy the legal requirement for consideration in a contract.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English piporcorn, formed by combining pipor (pepper) and corn (grain or seed), reflecting its appearance as a small, hard seed.