cayenne
(keɪˈɛn, kaɪˈɛn)
Forms: 8 cayan, kayan, kian, kyan; also chian, chyan.
[In its actual form, referred to Cayenne, the chief town of French Guiana (founded 1634); but this is app. only popular etymology, as the name in Tupi (Brazilian) is given by Martini, p. 419, as ky{yacu}nha, qui{yacu}nha, also quiya. Gul. Piso, De Indiæ utriusque Re Nat. et Med. (1658) has ‘qviya sive Piper Brasiliensis. The name Cayenne Pepper is unknown to French, and the Ger. Cayenne-pfeffer is prob. from Eng. (The somewhat archaic pronunc. (ˌkaɪˈɑːn) survives from the earlier form.)]
a. (Also called Cayenne pepper). A very pungent powder obtained from the dried and ground pods and seeds of various species of Capsicum, esp. C. annuum and C. frutescens, of South America; used as a condiment in cookery and as a stimulant in medicine; formerly called Guinea pepper.
| 1756 P. Browne Jamaica 177 The Cayan pepper or butter of the West Indies. 1774 Westm. Mag. II. 447 Her mouth had been so heated with Chian. 1782 European Mag. II. 68 His temper hot as Kayan, taste uncouth. 1782 Schotte in Phil. Trans. LXXIII. 93 Seasoned with Cayenne pepper. 1796 H. Glasse Cookery iii. 28 Put to it..chyan, salt..and a little lemon juice. 1809 W. Irving Knickerb. (1861) 87 Hideous crimes, which, like cayenne in cookery, do give a pungency and flavour to the dull detail of history. 1823 Byron Juan x. lxxii, Leavening his blood as cayenne doth a curry. |
b. fig.
| 1784 New Spect. vii. 4/2 If you season it with a little Kyan of Scandal. 1836 Hor. Smith Tin Trump. (1876) 216 Jokes—the cayenne of conversation and the salt of life. 1886 Sat. Rev. 6 Mar. 328/2 The cayenne pepper of incendiary speeches. |
c. cayenne whist, a variety of whist in which the dealer's side names the trumps and in which the suits have different values.
| 1887 W. Beatty-Kingston Music & Manners II. 253 As much ‘cayenne’ whist as their means will permit of their indulging in. 1897 Sears, Roebuck Catal. 343/1 All the games with cards at present in vogue, including..whist, Cayenne whist, Hearts. |