Definition of "berbere"

Food in Ethiopia is always seasoned with berberè, a kind of pimiento.

1939, Ferdinando Quaranta di San Severino, Ethiopia, an empire in the making, page 16

Wat is a sauce composed of legumes, including horsebeans, chickpeas, kidneybeans, and lentils pounded to a flour, and mixed with spices. First berbere (red pepper) is dried and ground, then mixed with onions and butter, thus forming a thick cream.

1958, The Journal of Tropical Pediatrics and African Child Health

In Ethiopia, a volcanic pepper and spice seasoning, berbere, is widely used, and the stews called wats are eaten with a spongy flat bread, injera.

1987 July 29, Steven Barboza, “Culinary Delights of Africa Reflect a Continent's Diversity”, in The New York Times‎