capsaicin

Arbitrary alteration of earlier capsicine, capsicin (“material extracted from cayenne pepper”), presumably to prevent confusion, from German Capsicin, from New Latin capsicum + German -in. Name introduced by John Clough Thresh (1850–1932) in “Capsaicin, the Active Principle of Capsicum Fruits”.^[1]

• IPA^(key): /kæpˈseɪəsən/, /kæpˈseɪsən/

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capsaicin (usually uncountable, plural capsaicins)

1. (organic chemistry) A chemical compound found in chilli peppers, which is responsible for their piquancy.

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