picante

[ pi-kahn-tey; Spanish pee-kahn-te ]

adjective

1. prepared so as to be very hot and spicy, especially with a hot and spicy sauce.

noun

, plural pi·can·tes [pi-, kahn, -teyz, pee-, kahn, -tes].

1. any food that is very hot and spicy, especially a hot sauce.

Word History and Origins

Origin of picante¹

< Spanish: spicy, hot, past participle of picar to prick, bite; pique ¹, piquant

Example Sentences

His flexes were so weak salsa that they made Pace Picante Sauce seem as fiery as Tapatío.

From Los Angeles Times

Look for Zócalo- or Belmonte-brand jars labeled “sin picante,” or non-spicy.

From Washington Post

The platter consists of burnt ends, cornbread, pulled pork, coleslaw and smoked picante.

From Los Angeles Times

Pedro and Ramon smother their slices with Valentina Salsa Picante.

From Seattle Times

He even uses EBay to track down rare condiments; in what he describes as “a huge score,” a hoarder once sold him hundreds of packets of a picante sauce McDonald’s no longer makes.

From Los Angeles Times