pepper spray

noun

: a temporarily disabling aerosol that is composed partly of capsicum oleoresin and causes irritation and blinding of the eyes and inflammation of the nose, throat, and skin

Examples of pepper spray in a Sentence

The police used pepper spray to bring the suspect under control.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Instead the robbers zapped him in the eyes with pepper spray, and punched and kicked him in the face multiple times. Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2025 Such discrepancies between what the sheriff’s office says happened and the potential evidence of the use of force beyond pepper spray may not fall within Kliem’s video literacy margin of nuance. Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Feb. 2025 Body camera footage from Capitol Hill police during the riot show Schwartz spraying officers with pepper spray and wielding a baton. Jim Axelrod, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2025 Connecticut has agreed to pay $3.75 million to the estate of a mentally and physically ill man who died at New Haven Correctional Center after allegedly being doused with pepper spray and piled on by officers in violation of correction guidelines. Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 13 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pepper spray

Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pepper spray was in 1979

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Cite this Entry

“Pepper spray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pepper%20spray. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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