peppercorn

[ pep-er-kawrn ]

noun

1. the berry of the pepper plant, Piper nigrum, dried and used as a condiment, in pickling, etc.
2. anything very small or insignificant.

adjective

1. (of hair) growing in tight spirals.

peppercorn

/ ˈpɛpəˌkɔːn /

noun

1. the small dried berry of the pepper plant ( Piper nigrum )
2. something trifling

Other Words From

• pepper·cornish pepper·corny adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of peppercorn¹

before 1000; Middle English pepercorn; Old English piporcorn. See pepper, corn ¹

Example Sentences

Some have the delicate crunch of fried sesame seeds, garlic or crushed peanuts, or the mouth-numbing tingle of Sichuan peppercorns.

From New York Times

In addition, it suggests all ground rents reduced to a peppercorn amount, which was intended to encourage landlords to sell up to leaseholders.

From BBC

Crunching into a half-ground black peppercorn is a profoundly unpleasant scenario which has occurred many a time for me and then essentially blown out my palate.

From Salon

Soon other Chinese immigrants followed, many from Hunan and Sichuan, another southern province, known for fiery, numbing flavours produced by its tiny but potent peppercorns.

From BBC

In a food processor, blend the prunes, soy sauce, ketchup, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, anchovies and 4 teaspoons salt until smooth, about 1 minute.

From Washington Times