# chillies

/ˈtʃɪɫiz/ (US) · /tʃˈɪliz/ (UK) · CEFR A2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/chillies
Updated: 2026-10-16

## Definition

small red or green peppers that taste very hot and make food spicy. You chop them fresh or dry them for cooking.

For teachers: small pungent fruits of Capsicum plants used fresh or dried as a spice or vegetable, valued for the burning heat produced by capsaicin.

## Examples

- She adds fresh chillies to the soup for heat.
- He buys red chillies at the market every Saturday to make his grandmother's spicy sauce.
- The recipe calls for smoked chillies, whose slow heat builds gradually and lingers long after the first bite.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.