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
The menu, which is scratch-made in-house, will also have enchiladas, flautas, chimichangas and huevos rancheros.
Context: Chili Willi's opened in 1983 and became one of the most popular restaurants in Huntington, W. Va., beloved for its chili and authentic Tex-Mex, the Herald-Dispatch reported.
—
Laura Barrero, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025
Every few years, a new flavor takes the liquor world by storm, with past fads ranging from honey to peanut butter, chili to coffee.
—John Kell, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Plant them around chili peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, potatoes, and tomatoes.
—Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2025
Get The Recipe 21 of 50 Quick Beef Chili
A warm bowl of chili in under an hour?
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for chili 
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Laura Barrero, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025
Every few years, a new flavor takes the liquor world by storm, with past fads ranging from honey to peanut butter, chili to coffee.
—John Kell, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Plant them around chili peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, potatoes, and tomatoes.
—Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2025
Get The Recipe 21 of 50 Quick Beef Chili
A warm bowl of chili in under an hour?
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for chili
Articles Related to chili
Dictionary Entries Near chili
Cite this Entry
“Chili.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chili. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
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