variants: or less commonly chile or chilli
plural chilies also chiles or chilis or chillies

Definition of chili

1a : a hot pepper of any of a group of cultivars (Capsicum annuum annuum group longum) noted for their pungency

— called also chili pepper

b usually chilli , plural chillies also chillis, chiefly British : a pepper whether hot or sweet

2a : a thick sauce of meat and chilies liked to cover her spaghetti with red chili

b : chili con carne also : a similar dish made without beef vegetarian chili seafood chili

geographical name Definition of Chili (Entry 2 of 2)

—former, especially British name for Chile or for the once poorly defined Andes border region between Chile and Argentina

Examples of chili in a Sentence

The bitters are flavored with the spice palette used in Cincinnati chili. — Polly Campbell, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati chili imagined as a cocktail? Why not," 16 Apr. 2018 This rustic cornbread is sturdy and dry and meant to be dunked, like say in this beef chili. — Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit, "Classic Skillet Cornbread," 19 Mar. 2018 Ole Chipotle works well in chili and pork dishes, according to Gonzalez Alcala. — Megan Becka, cleveland.com, "Not Yo' Daddy's Mexican hot sauce heats up business at Akron's Northside Marketplace," 15 Mar. 2018 Try a pinch in chili or bolognese, in anything with beef or lamb, or even in cold weather cocktails. — Paula Forbes, GQ, "The Only 7 Spices You Actually Need," 2 Mar. 2018 How did the chili pepper become so entrenched in Chinaâs Sichuan and Hunan provinces? — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "Some Like It Hot," 12 July 2018 Your 'chili pepper' rating of our 'hotness' is obnoxious and utterly irrelevant to our teaching. — Suzannah Weiss, Teen Vogue, "RateMyProfessors Removes Hotness Rating," 29 June 2018 That would be the Trade Whiskey comprising bourbon with red chili pepper sauce, tobacco and the gun powder, served neat and with quite a spicy bite to it. — Larry Olmsted, USA TODAY, "Pair game meat and period cocktails in Colorado," 13 June 2018 But the eggplant sticks, very lightly dusted with corn starch and ground chili pepper and then deep-fried, turned out to have the same irresistible charisma as the best French fries, with nary a thought for ketchup or aioli. — Beth Segal, cleveland.com, "Szechuan Gourmet: Hot spot for hot pot and much more in Asiatown (photos)," 20 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chili.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback. First Known Use of chili

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for chili

Spanish chile, from Nahuatl chÄ«lli

Learn More about chili

Share chili Resources for chili Where In the World to Use 'Chili,'...

Where In the World to Use 'Chili,' 'Chilli,' and 'Chile'

Both 'chili' and 'chile' are used in American English.

Dictionary Entries near chili

Chile pine

chile relleno

Chile saltpeter

Statistics for chili

Time Traveler for chili

The first known use of chili was in 1604

More Definitions for chili English Language Learners Definition of chili

: a small pepper with a very hot flavor

: a spicy dish made of ground beef, hot peppers or chili powder, and usually beans

: a similar dish made without meat

See the full definition for chili in the English Language Learners Dictionary

variants: also chile or chilli \Ëchi-lÄ \

Kids Definition of chili

1 : a small pepper with a very hot flavor

2 : a spicy stew of ground beef and chilies usually with beans

More from Merriam-Webster on chili

See words that rhyme with chili

Spanish Central: Translation of chili

Nglish: Translation of chili for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of chili for Arabic Speakers

Comments on chili

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