chile

1 of 2

noun

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 2

pronunciation spelling

ˈchī(-ə)l 

—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 someone

"Chile, no one looks great this early in the morning," [Debbie] Allen [actress] replied with a chuckle, thanking her. …

—Tonja Renée Stidhum

The couple shared the amazing news on Instagram, and chile … that ring is everything! …

—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

Examples of chile in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The green chile queso, the Terra Signature Burger (topped with green chile and candied chile bacon), and the beef brisket tacos took center stage in my culinary journey at the resort. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2024

Servers come around to the tables every five minutes or so to refill your trio of chicken rice condiments: ginger, chile and sweet soy. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024

That same soil is what lends poblano chiles—traditionally from Puebla—the peppery flavor that characterizes the most famous local dish, chiles en nogada, says Zach Rabinor, founder of the luxury travel outfit Journey Mexico. —Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024

The sausage comes from Denver-base Polidori and the chiles are a mix of Pueblo-grown and Hatch. —Jonathan Shikes, The Denver Post, 11 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Pronunciation Spelling

1839, in the meaning defined above

Geographical 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

Chilean

ˈchi-lē-ən 

chə-ˈlā-ən

adjective or noun