[chil-ee; Sp. chee-le] 
| a republic in SW South America, on the Pacific Coast. 14,508,168; 286,396 sq. mi. (741,765 sq. km). Capital: Santiago. |
[chil-ee] | 1. | Also called chili pepper. the pungent pod of any of several species of Capsicum, esp. C. annuum longum: used in cooking for its pungent flavor. |
| 2. | chili con carne. |
| 3. | a meatless version of chili con carne. |
[chil-ee kon kahr-nee] | a Mexican-style dish made with chilies or chili powder, ground or diced beef, chopped onion and pepper, and usually kidney beans and tomatoes. |
| chil·e (chĭl'ē) n. Variant of chili. |
Chil·e (chĭl'ē, chē'lě)  (click for larger image in new window) A country of southwest South America with a long Pacific coastline. Originally inhabited by Araucanian Indian peoples, it was colonized by Spain in 1541 and declared its independence in 1818. One of the most politically stable and economically prosperous of South American countries, Chile annexed mineral-rich territory from Bolivia and Peru following the War of the Pacific (1879-1884). Santiago is the capital and the largest city. Population: 16,300,000. Chil'e·an (chĭl'ē-ən, chĭ-lā'-) adj. & n. |
| chil·i also chil·e or chil·li (chĭl'ē) n. pl. chil·ies also chil·es or chil·lies
[Spanish chile, from Nahuatl chilli.] |
Republic in southern South America on the western slope of the Andes. Chile is a long, narrow strip of land bordered by Peru to the north, Bolivia and Argentina to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the south and west. Its capital and largest city is Santiago.
Note: In 1973, General Augusto Pinochet led a coup that overthrew President Salvador Allende, a Marxist.
Note: Pinochet suppressed human rights and political activity until he lost a plebiscite in 1988. A successor was chosen in free elections. In 1998, Pinochet was arrested in Great Britain on a Spanish warrant, but a court ruled him too ill to stand trial. He returned to Chile, where attempts to prosecute him continued.
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