chipotle

[ chi-poht-ley; Spanish chee-pawt-le ]

noun

, plural chi·pot·les [chi-, poht, -leyz, chee-, pawt, -les].

1. a mature jalapeño pepper that is smoked until dried, used whole or ground into a spice, especially in Mexican cooking.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chipotle¹

First recorded in 1920–25; from Mexican Spanish chipotle, chilpotle, chilpocle, from unrecorded Nahuatl chīlpōctli, equivalent to chīlli chile ¹( def ) + pōctli “smoke”

Example Sentences

Add some jalapeños if you want a spicy ranch, or maybe some chipotles if you want a smoky ranch.

From Seattle Times

Barely touched bottle of chipotle mayo, I hardly knew you.

From Salon

The red jalapeños and smoked chipotle are grown right here in California at Fire Tongue Farms.

From Los Angeles Times

The Palace Kitchen chicken wings achieved a fiery Tabasco heat but lost any of their billed chipotle smokiness, while two out of three were over-grilled to dry and tough.

From Seattle Times

Stir in the cilantro, scallions, pickled jalapeños and their brine, chipotle and adobo sauce, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

From Washington Times