variant spelling of chili
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
chile
2 of 2pronunciation spelling
—used for "child" chiefly in spoken African American English especially of the southern U.S. and in written representations of such speech
… sources close to the situation have said that the "Love on the Brain" singer is remaining in Barbados while awaiting the birth of her first chile, as Newsweek also notes.—
Shanelle Genai
—often used as an affectionate or friendly way of addressing someoneShanelle Genai"Chile, no one looks great this early in the morning," [Debbie] Allen [actress] replied with a chuckle, thanking her. …—Tonja Renée Stidhum
Tonja Renée StidhumThe couple shared the amazing news on Instagram, and chile … that ring is everything! …—Jasmine Grant
Jasmine Grant[Nikole] Hannah-Jones [investigative journalist] decided the best response would be to quote King accurately by reading excerpts of his speeches without mentioning explicitly that they were his words. "And, whew, chile, it was AMAZING," she said.—David Moye
David MoyeExamples of chile in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Saveur Editors, Saveur, 5 Feb. 2025
On some of its final nights in January, the restaurant was out of several items and did not even have the traditional chile powder to dust its signature chips, commenters wrote on social media.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Jan. 2025
Add ingredients to slow cooker: Transfer beef mixture to a 6-qt. slow cooker; stir in potatoes, kidney beans, corn, diced tomatoes, cream of chicken soup, and diced chiles.
—Craig Ruff, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 2025
In a large pot over medium-high heat, sweat the onion, scallions, ginger, chile and garlic in coconut oil until fragrant.
—Luke Fortney, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for chile 
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Noun
Get the recipe > Jalapeño Poppers The classic jalapeño popper recipe (a whole green chile, filled with cheese and then roasted or fried) has roots in the Mexican chile relleno, which goes back to the 1800s or earlier.
—Saveur Editors, Saveur, 5 Feb. 2025
On some of its final nights in January, the restaurant was out of several items and did not even have the traditional chile powder to dust its signature chips, commenters wrote on social media.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Jan. 2025
Add ingredients to slow cooker: Transfer beef mixture to a 6-qt. slow cooker; stir in potatoes, kidney beans, corn, diced tomatoes, cream of chicken soup, and diced chiles.
—Craig Ruff, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 2025
In a large pot over medium-high heat, sweat the onion, scallions, ginger, chile and garlic in coconut oil until fragrant.
—Luke Fortney, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for chile
Dictionary Entries Near chile
Cite this Entry
“Chile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chile. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationGeographical Definition
Chile
geographical name
Chi·le
ˈchi-lē 
ˈchē-(ˌ)lā
long, narrow country of southwestern South America between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific; a republic whose capital is Santiago and whose legislative capital is Valparaíso area 291,933 square miles (756,102 square kilometers), population 17,925,000
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