ketchup
Ketchup (noun) means a thick, tangy tomato-based sauce commonly used as a condiment. Example: “He squeezed ketchup all over his chips.”
How to use ketchup
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe everyday tomato sauce found on tables everywhere; historically the word covered many kinds of sauce, not just tomato.
American English sometimes uses the older variant "catsup", though "ketchup" is now dominant in both the US and UK.
Word forms
ketchupped past tense, ketchups singular
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
He squeezed _____ all over his chips.
Etymology
Likely from a Hokkien Chinese word for fish sauce, passed through Malay into English in the late 1600s; early English "ketchup" referred to various savory sauces long before tomato ketchup became standard in the 19th century.
Synonyms
View more →Frequently asked questions
What does “ketchup” mean?
The word “ketchup” means a thick, tangy tomato-based sauce commonly used as a condiment. In plain terms, the everyday tomato sauce found on tables everywhere; historically the word covered many kinds of sauce, not just tomato.
How do you pronounce “ketchup”?
“Ketchup” is pronounced KEHCH-uhp (/ˈkɛt͡ʃ.əp/ in IPA).
How do you use “ketchup” in a sentence?
Here is “ketchup” used in a sentence: “He squeezed ketchup all over his chips.”
What part of speech is “ketchup”?
Depending on how it is used, “ketchup” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “ketchup” come from?
The word “ketchup” dates back to around 1600 and comes from Chinese.
Is “ketchup” a common word?
“Ketchup” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “ketchup” have?
“Ketchup” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a thick, tangy tomato-based sauce commonly used as a condiment.
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