Capsicum
/ˈkæp.sɪ.kəm/noun
A genus of pepper plants, or the pungent fruits from those plants, including bell peppers and chili peppers.
Did you know?The word entered European languages through New Latin botanical naming, but the plant itself was unknown to the classical Mediterranean world until after the Columbian exchange.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian Americas
Various Indigenous languages
*kapʷa? / local forms unknown
“Names for chili and pepper-like fruits used by Indigenous peoples of the Americas”
16th Century
Spanish
ají / pimiento
“Chili pepper; pepper-like fruit introduced from the Americas”
17th Century
New Latin
capsicum
“A botanical name applied to pepper plants and their fruits”
Modern English
English
capsicum
“A pepper plant or its fruit, especially sweet peppers in Commonwealth English”
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