Question:
What exactly does 'spicy' mean?
Answer:
I wouldn't describe a chilli pepper as 'spicy', for example. It is a natural product, so you'd say it is 'hot'.
A dish that has been prepared with a lot of spices and seasoning can be described as spicy. Not all spicy dishes are hot. There are many mild, warm and aromatic spices which can make a dish tasty and spicy, but not necessarily fiery or 'hot'.
Some dishes are simply spicy, some are both spicy and hot.
A dish is 'hot' if it contains contains a high proportion of chilli and/or hot spices such as cayenne pepper.