English Explanatory Dictionary

peppercorn

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The seeds of the pepper plant Piper nigrum, commonly used as a spice, usually ground or crushed.
  2. A small, insignificant quantity; a whit or jot.
  3. A nominal consideration used to satisfy the requirements for the creation of a legal contract.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/ˈpɛpəkɔːn/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-peppercorn.wav /ˈpɛpɚkɔɹn/

Word forms

peppercorn peppercorns

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English peper corn, peper-corn, pepercorn, from Old English piporcorn (“peppercorn”), corresponding to pepper + corn. Compare Dutch peperkorrel (“peppercorn”), German Pfefferkorn (“peppercorn”), Danish peberkorn (“peppercorn”), Swedish pepparkorn (“peppercorn”), Icelandic piparkorn (“peppercorn”).

Derived words

peppercorn hair peppercorn rent peppercorny pink peppercorn

Translations

Finnish: hitunen Polish: ździebko
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