chili
/ˈt͡ʃɪli/noun
Pungent pepper fruit, or its powdered spice
From Classical Nahuatl, via Spanish chili (pepper).
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Modern English
chili — Pungent pepper fruit, or its powdered spice
The story
A chili is the pungent fruit of a capsicum pepper, and the same name is used for the powdered spice made from it. English borrowed chili from Spanish chile, which in turn came from Classical Nahuatl chīlli, meaning “pepper.” English recorded the pepper sense in 1874, when Finlay Dun listed “Chilly pepper” and “Chillies” among names for dried capsicum fruit. The name’s spelling varies across English: chile is regional in the United States, while chilli is common in Commonwealth usage.
Words from the same roots
chili · Classical Nahuatl, via Spanish, ‘pepper’
Derivedchile, chili pepper, chili powder, poblano
Cognatesjalapeño