Scoville heat unit
English
editEtymology
editScoville + heat + unit. From Wilbur Scoville, who invented the unit and its scale. From being a unit of measure of the perceived heat or burning from the spiciness engendered by the capsaicin content.
Noun
editScoville heat unit (plural Scoville heat units)
- The unit in which the Scoville scale is measured.
- 2013, Mike Lee, Vegan Mexican Food For Chowhounds!, page i:
- There is the Ghost Chili (Bhut Jolokia) which sits at a scorching 1,001,304 Scoville heat units.