capsaicin Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun colorless pungent crystalline compound derived from capsicum; source of the hotness of hot peppers of the genus Capsicum such as chili and cayenne and jalapeno

WordNet

Cap*sa"i*cin noun
Etymology
From Capsicum.
Definitions
  1. (Chem.) A colorless crystalline substance extracted from the Capsicum annuum, and giving off vapors of intense acridity.

Webster 1913