| Main Entry: | Scoville scale |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | a gastronomic measure of the hotness or pungency of chili peppers, in Scoville units |
| Example: | An ordinary chili pepper is 5000 degrees on the Scoville scale and a really hot one is around 8000 degrees. |
| Etymology: | 1912; fr. W. Scoville, chemist |
| Usage: | cooking |