chili

noun

ˈchi-lē 

variants or less commonly chile or chiefly British chilli

plural chilies also chiles or chilis or chiefly British chillies

1

a

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

b

chiefly British chilli : a pepper whether hot or sweet

2

a

: a thick sauce of meat and chilies

liked to cover her spaghetti with red chili

b

: chili con carne

a bowl of chili

also : a similar dish made without beef

vegetarian chili

seafood chili

Examples of chili in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Get The Recipe Pile ingredients into your slow cooker and get ready for a filling and flavorful pot of chili. —Patricia S York, Southern Living, 13 June 2024

Savannah’s crudo had chili oil and a sauce inspired by Curaçao’s national dish (keshi yena). —Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 12 June 2024

The agency said that the amount of hot chili in the noodle products is even higher than that in chili chips, which led to the hospitalizations in Germany. —Chantelle Lee, TIME, 12 June 2024

On the heels of its controversial switch from Pepsi to Coca-Cola products in March, the Cincinnati-style chili chain announced the Skyline Float: vanilla ice cream with a choice of Barq’s Red Creme Soda, Barq’s Root Beer, Coca-Cola or Fanta. —Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 11 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Spanish chile, from Nahuatl chīlli

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing chili

• chili con carne
• chili con queso
• chili dog
• chili pepper
• chili powder
• chili sauce
• ghost chili

Kids Definition

chili

noun

variants also chile or chilli

ˈchil-ē

plural chilies also chiles or chilis or chillies

1

: hot pepper sense 1

2

: chili con carne

Geographical Definition

Chili

geographical name

ˈchi-lē 

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