cayenne

¹

[kahy-en, key-, kahy-en]

noun

1. a hot, biting condiment composed of the ground pods and seeds of the pepper Capsicum annuum longum.

2. the long, wrinkled, twisted fruit of this plant.

3. the plant itself.

Cayenne

²

[kahy-en, key-]

noun

1. a seaport in and the capital of French Guiana.

2. Also called cayenne whist. (lowercase),  a variety of whist played with two full packs of 52 cards each.

Cayenne

/ keɪˈɛn /

noun

1. the capital of French Guiana, on an island at the mouth of the Cayenne River: French penal settlement from 1854 to 1938. Pop: 50 594 (1999)

Other Word Forms

• cayenned adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Cayenne¹

1750–60; short for cayenne pepper, formerly cayan < Tupi kyinha, but long associated with Cayenne

Example Sentences

Bread & butter pickles aren’t an ideal choice, but they could work for a spicier lemonade that incorporates cayenne pepper and jalapeños.

From Salon

Mira Costa wants revenge after getting upset by Redondo Union in the CIF-SS beach finals on May 3 and the Mustangs from Manhattan Beach are more than capable with a stable of outside hitters that includes Audrey Flanagan, Simone Roslon and Cayenne Ceman, and USC-bound setter Milly McGee.

From Los Angeles Times

Robots Staybehind, Sweetie, Cayenne and Hands will capture readers’ hearts.

From Los Angeles Times

Each kettle corn popcorn is generously coated in honey powder and hot cayenne pepper, providing the perfect balance of two bold flavors.

From Salon

The fried chicken is typically coated in a mixture of cayenne and paprika that singes the tongue.

From Los Angeles Times