Pimento
/pɪˈmɛn.toʊ/noun
A spice or sweet pepper, especially the allspice berry or a cherry pepper used for stuffing.
Did you know?English pimento comes through Spanish and Portuguese from a word for pepper, ultimately tied to Latin *pigmentum*—the same root behind “pigment,” because spices and colors were both seen as substances that stained and transformed.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
pigmentum
“a coloring substance, dye, or pigment”
Old Spanish / Portuguese
Romance
pimiento / pimento
“pepper; later also a specific kind of pepper or spice”
Early Modern English
English
pimento
“a pepper or spice brought into English through Iberian trade”
Modern English
English
pimento
“the allspice berry or a mild cherry pepper, especially when stuffed”