Definition

Noun: 1. A container for ground pepper: A small container, typically with a perforated or pierced lid, used for storing and sprinkling ground pepper onto food.

Usage

• The primary and most common use is as a kitchen utensil for seasoning food.
• It is often found on dining tables alongside a salt shaker.
• The term specifically refers to the container for pepper, distinguishing it from a pepper mill, which grinds whole peppercorns.

Examples

• "Please pass the pepper box; the soup needs a little more seasoning."
• "The antique silver pepper box was part of a matched set with a salt cellar."
• "She shook the pepper box over her salad."

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically to describe something that dispenses items in a scattered or rapid manner, though this is a less common, figurative extension.
  • Example: "The new policy turned the department into a pepper box of conflicting memos."

Variants and Related Words

• Pepper shaker: A more common modern synonym.
• Pepper pot: Can be synonymous but may also refer to a specific type of stew or a larger pot for cooking.
• Pepper mill: A device for grinding whole peppercorns, not a synonym for a pepper box.

Synonyms

• Pepper shaker
• Pepper pot (context-dependent)

Antonyms

• There is no direct antonym, but contrasting items include salt shaker or pepper mill.

Related Phrases

• Salt and pepper: The classic pairing of condiments and their shakers.
  • Example: "The table was set with a simple salt and pepper."

Noun

1. a shaker with a perforated top for sprinkling ground pepper