Piper nigrum
- noun
- /ˈpaɪpər ˈnaɪɡrəm/
- Specialized
:
Piper nigrum
- 3986 milaku black pepper, Piper nigrum
Examples
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In the spice market, you can find whole and ground varieties of Piper nigrum for culinary uses.
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The unique flavor of Piper nigrum makes it a popular choice for seasoning a variety of dishes.
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The chef sprinkled freshly ground black pepper from Piper nigrum on the steak for added flavor.
Synonyms
32
1.0
A climbing vine grown for small berries used to make the common spice
1
1.0
A climbing tropical plant that makes dark red berries used as a spice
A climbing plant from warm countries whose dried berries make black pepper
A climbing tropical plant that produces dark red berries used like pepper
How Spicy
1
2.7
- US
9
1.0
- Specialized
- Specialized
- US
21
1.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
Piper + nigrum
The binomial name combines the genus 'Piper' (pepper plants) with the Latin adjective 'nigrum' (black), so a learner who knows both constituents can directly infer it refers to the black-pepper plant/species. This is a literal, compositional naming pattern (noun + descriptive epithet) rather than an idiom, making the meaning predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Piper nigrum comes from old Latin words: piper meaning 'pepper' and nigrum meaning 'black'. It is a climbing plant whose small berries called peppercorns turn dark when dried to make the black and white pepper we use in cooking, so the name refers to the plant that gives 'black pepper'.