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chil·te·pin also chil·te·pine

(chĭltə-pēn′)

1. A variety of the tropical pepper Capsicum annuum having a small, red, berrylike fruit that is extremely hot.

2. The fruit of this plant. In both senses also called bird pepper.

[American Spanish chiltepín, from Nahuatl chīltecpin : chīlli, chili pepper + tecpin, tecpintli, flea.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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