pepper spray

noun

: a temporarily disabling aerosol that is composed partly of capsicum oleoresin and causes irritation and blinding of the eyes and inflammation of the nose, throat, and skin

Examples of pepper spray in a Sentence

The police used pepper spray to bring the suspect under control.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The lawsuit claims cops began kettling the protesters and doused them with pepper spray. Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2025 Randolf Knoblock, 45, of Santa Rosa faces charges of assault with pepper spray and assault with a deadly weapon, police said. Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 21 Jan. 2025 At that time, protesters in Turkey ransacked the Thai Consulate in Istanbul, and the police in the capital, Ankara, used pepper spray to push back Uyghurs trying to break through a barricade outside the Chinese Embassy. Nyrola Elimä, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025 Instead the robbers zapped him in the eyes with pepper spray, and punched and kicked him in the face multiple times. Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pepper spray

Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pepper spray was in 1979

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pepper spray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pepper%20spray. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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