What does peppermint mean?
Peppermint is an aromatic herb and a widely used flavoring derived from a mint plant rich in menthol. In culinary and everyday contexts, the word can refer to fresh or dried leaves, peppermint oil, peppermint extract, or the characteristic flavor they impart to chocolate, biscuits, tea, toothpaste, medicines, and candy. The flavor is typically cool, sharp, and clean, with a distinctive sweetness that comes largely from its aromatic oils. Peppermint also has a long association with digestion, colds, and freshness, although many of its medicinal uses are traditional rather than clinically established. When people say “peppermint,” they may be speaking about the plant, the flavor, or an individual confection. The word is familiar in British and American English and is useful for describing both a botanical plant and a distinctive sensory experience.
nounPeppermint is an aromatic mint plant whose leaves contain a strong, menthol-rich oil, and it is also used to flavor foods, drinks, medicines, and confectionery. The word may refer to the plant, its flavor, its oil or extract, or an individual peppermint candy.
- An aromatic mint plant with menthol-rich leaves, used fresh or dried in foods, drinks, and traditional remedies.
- A flavoring made from peppermint leaves, oil, or extract, especially in confectionery, beverages, toothpaste, and medicines.
- A small, typically hard candy flavored with peppermint oil.
"She added a sprig of fresh peppermint to the tea."
"The chef garnished the dessert with a leaf of peppermint."
"I keep peppermints in my bag for an occasional headache or indigestion."
Use the plural for individual peppermint candies or distinct mint plants or sprigs. In general references to peppermint as an herb or flavoring, singular mass usage is more usual.
"She passed around the peppermints after dinner."
Peppermint is named for its pungent taste, not because it contains pepper: the “pepper” in its name describes its pleasantly sharp aroma.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does peppermint come from?
Peppermint is an English compound formed from “pepper” and “mint”; the “pepper” element refers to its pungent taste rather than to the spice derived from black pepper. “Mint” comes through English from Old English minte, ultimately from Latin mentha, the name of the mint genus. The related word “menthol” was derived from the same botanical name and became the defining constituent of peppermint oil.
Related word forms
How peppermint is actually used
The term is broadly neutral and common in both British and American English. When referring to the plant or flavor in a general sense, it is usually uncountable; the plural is common for individual candies or separate mint plants.
Easily confused with peppermint
Peppermint has a stronger, sharper menthol flavor, whereas spearmint is generally milder and more aromatic, with little or no menthol.