Definition of green pepper

The modern term "green pepper" refers to the unripe fruit of the capsicum annuum plant, which is commonly used in cooking. The word "green pepper" is actually a misnomer since true peppers, in the botanical sense, are not peppers at all, but instead belong to the nightshade family of plants. The origin of the word "pepper" for this vegetable is somewhat up for debate, but it is believed to stem from the Jamaican Creole word "pimin", which was used to describe the fruit. This word, in turn, may have been influenced by the French "poivre" or "peppercorn", which was used to describe a type of black pepper found in the Indonesian spice trade. In English, the term "green peppers" was commonly used as early as the 1680s, although it was not specifically mentioned as a type of pepper. It wasn't until the 19th century that the term became more widely used to specifically describe the unripe fruit. This change in usage was likely due to the popularity of capsicum annuum in cooking and the fact that the unripe fruit became more widely available. In summary, the term "green pepper" is a misnomer that originated from the Jamaican Creole word "pimin", which may have been influenced by the French "poivre". As the usage of capsicum annuum in cooking became more popular in England, the term became more widely used to specifically describe the unripe fruit.