variants
or less commonly chile
or chiefly British chilli
plural chilies also chiles or chilis or chiefly British chillies
1
a
or chili pepper
: a hot pepper of any of a group of cultivars (Capsicum annuum annuum group longum) noted for their pungency
b
chiefly British chilli
: a pepper whether hot or sweet
2
a
: a thick sauce of meat and chilies
liked to cover her spaghetti with red chili
b
: chili con carne
a bowl of chili
also
: a similar dish made without beef
vegetarian chili
seafood chili
Examples of chili in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
According to its posts on Instagram, menu offerings at Slow and Low will include pulled pork sandwiches, brisket, ribs, Texas-style chili and wings.
—
Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 21 May 2024
Capsaicin is the component that gives chili peppers their heat.
—Steve Leblanc, Fortune, 16 May 2024
The selection spans both savory and sweet: one butter ball is seasoned with curry, another with tomato, fennel and chili and the third with blueberry and lemon.
—Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 6 Mar. 2024
Restaurant patrons can pop in and try the restaurant’s Texas chili, Cincinnati chili, vegetarian chili or Southern style chili.
—Lorenza Medley, Charlotte Observer, 22 June 2023
See all Example Sentences for chili 
Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 21 May 2024
Capsaicin is the component that gives chili peppers their heat.
—Steve Leblanc, Fortune, 16 May 2024
The selection spans both savory and sweet: one butter ball is seasoned with curry, another with tomato, fennel and chili and the third with blueberry and lemon.
—Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 6 Mar. 2024
Restaurant patrons can pop in and try the restaurant’s Texas chili, Cincinnati chili, vegetarian chili or Southern style chili.
—Lorenza Medley, Charlotte Observer, 22 June 2023
See all Example Sentences for chili
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chili.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Chili.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chili. Accessed 5 Jun. 2024.
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