What does pimiento mean?
A pimiento is a sweet red pepper associated especially with Spanish and Latin American cooking. The fresh pepper has a mild, fruity flavor and is commonly roasted, stuffed, pickled, or added to stews, rice dishes, sauces, and fillings. In an English recipe, pimiento may also refer to paprika, the bright red powder made from dried red peppers, and the distinction depends largely on context: a fresh pepper in a salad is a vegetable, while a spoonful in a stew may be the powdered spice. The word is most common in American English; British speakers more often use sweet pepper or bell pepper. Although it looks unusual to English speakers because it retains a Spanish form, it is an established culinary term in English dictionaries and food writing.
nounA sweet red pepper (Capsicum annuum) used in Spanish cooking. The term may also refer to paprika made from such peppers.
- A sweet red pepper, especially one used in Spanish cooking.
- Paprika made from sweet red peppers.
"She roasted the pimientos with garlic and olive oil before adding them to the stew."
"Dice the pimiento and fold it into the rice stuffing."
"The recipe calls for two teaspoons of pimiento for a subtle warmth and deep red color."
The plural is formed by adding -s.
"Roast the pimientos until their skins begin to char."
One pepper, two labels: a pimiento can be a fresh sweet pepper, but the name also appears in the ground spice known as paprika.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pimiento come from?
The English word was borrowed from Spanish pimiento, which derives from Latin piper, meaning "pepper." Its culinary sense follows the longstanding use of the word for members of the Capsicum family that were introduced to Europe after Columbus's voyages. English pimento and paprika are also connected to the same broader pepper tradition, although their immediate borrowing histories differ.
How pimiento is actually used
The term is more common in American English than in British English, where bell pepper or sweet pepper is generally preferred for the fresh vegetable. In culinary contexts it can refer either to the fresh pepper or to its ground form, paprika, so context often determines the intended meaning.
Easily confused with pimiento
A pimiento is a sweet red pepper or its paprika, whereas pimento usually denotes allspice, a spice made from the dried berries and leaves of the pimento tree.
Pimiento can name the fresh sweet pepper or a red pepper variety, while paprika most commonly names the powdered red pepper spice.