pepperoni

or pep·er·o·ni

[ pep-uh-roh-nee ]

noun

1. a highly seasoned, hard sausage of beef and pork.

pepperoni

/ ˌpɛpəˈrəʊnɪ /

noun

1. a highly seasoned dry sausage of pork and beef spiced with pepper, used esp on pizza

Word History and Origins

Origin of pepperoni¹

1920–25, Americanism; < Italian peperoni, plural of peperone cayenne pepper plant, augmentative of pepe pepper

Word History and Origins

Origin of pepperoni¹

C20: from Italian peperoni, plural of peperone cayenne pepper

Example Sentences

Experts told the Pepperoni team it was a loss leader; only supermarkets could turn a profit by bringing in bananas from South America.

From BBC

The drugs operation, which spanned the UK, Spain, Ecuador and Abu Dhabi, had been targeted by police in an inquiry which was named Operation Pepperoni.

From BBC

Since I was young, I've had a deep affinity for pepperoni rolls and bread.

From Salon

In recent years, I've given up pork, but that adoration for the pepperoni breads of my youth hasn't waned.

From Salon

Something I did not know, though, was that some trace the origins of pepperoni rolls to the Italian immigrants who lived in the Appalachain region, usually within North Carolina, Kentucky and West Virginia.

From Salon

Related Words

• bratwurst