The word 辣椒 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing to the overall meaning. The first character, 辣 (là), means "spicy" or "pungent", directly describing the primary sensation of the plant. The second character, 椒 (jiāo), is a generic term for "pepper" or certain aromatic plants, historically used for Chinese peppercorns. When joined, 椒 is semantically categorized by the "plant" radical (木) in its composition, confirming it as a botanical entity. Thus, the compound 辣椒 literally and conceptually signifies the "spicy pepper" plant, creating a new, specific term from two existing descriptive and categorical elements.