chile

1
[ chil-ee ]

noun
  1. Also called chil·e pep·per, chil·i pep·per [chil-ee pep-er] /ˈtʃɪl i ˌpɛp ər/ . the pod of any of several species of Capsicum, especially C. annuum longum: used in cooking for its pungent flavor.

Origin of chile

1
First recorded in 1855–60; variant spelling of chili

Other definitions for chile (2 of 3)

chile2
[ chahyl ]

noun
  1. a phonetic spelling of child, representing dialectal speech of the Southern United States or African American Vernacular English: Oh, chile, you do not want to test me!

Origin of chile

2
First recorded in 1860–65

Other definitions for Chile (3 of 3)

Chile
[ chil-ee; Spanish chee-le ]

noun
  1. a republic in southwestern South America, on the Pacific Coast. 286,396 square miles (741,765 square kilometers). Capital: Santiago.

Other words from Chile

  • Chil·e·an [chil-ey-uhn], /tʃɪlˈeɪ ən/, adjective, noun
  • pseu·do-Chil·e·an, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for chile (1 of 2)

chile

/ (ˈtʃɪlɪ) /


noun
  1. a variant spelling of chilli

British Dictionary definitions for Chile (2 of 2)

Chile

/ (ˈtʃɪlɪ) /


noun
  1. a republic in South America, on the Pacific, with a total length of about 4090 km (2650 miles) and an average width of only 177 km (110 miles): gained independence from Spain in 1818; the government of President Allende (elected 1970) attempted the implementation of Marxist policies within a democratic system until overthrown by a military coup (1973); democracy restored 1988. Chile consists chiefly of the Andes in the east, the Atacama Desert in the north, a central fertile region, and a huge S region of almost uninhabitable mountains, glaciers, fjords, and islands; an important producer of copper, iron ore, nitrates, etc. Language: Spanish. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: peso. Capital: Santiago. Pop: 17 216 945 (2013 est). Area: 756 945 sq km (292 256 sq miles)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Chile

Chile

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.

Notes for Chile

In 1973, General Augusto Pinochet led a coup that overthrew President Salvador Allende, a Marxist.

Notes for Chile

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.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.