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noun B1 Intermediate

saucer

SAW-suh

Saucer (noun) means a small, shallow dish that a cup sits on, often used to catch drips. Example: “She set the teacup down on its saucer.”

noun
1
A small, shallow dish that a cup sits on, often used to catch drips.
"She set the teacup down on its saucer."
"He poured a little milk into a saucer for the kitten."
2
Something shaped like this dish — round, flat, and shallow.
"Their eyes went wide as saucers."

How to use saucer

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe small round dish a cup rests on, or anything shaped like one.

Common pairings
cup and saucer eyes like saucers flying saucer

Word forms

saucered past tense, saucers plural, saucers singular

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Test yourself on “saucer” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

She set the teacup down on its _____.

Etymology

From Old French saussier, originally a dish for holding sauce, which is also the root of the word "sauce."

Origin: Old French

dish disk disc discus dish aerial dish antenna

Related words

Rhymes for saucer

See all rhymes for saucer →

Frequently asked questions

What does “saucer” mean?

The word “saucer” means a small, shallow dish that a cup sits on, often used to catch drips. In plain terms, the small round dish a cup rests on, or anything shaped like one.

How do you pronounce “saucer”?

“Saucer” is pronounced SAW-suh (/ˈsɔsɚ/ in IPA).

How do you use “saucer” in a sentence?

Here is “saucer” used in a sentence: “She set the teacup down on its saucer.”

What part of speech is “saucer”?

“Saucer” is a noun.

Where does the word “saucer” come from?

The word “saucer” comes from Old French. From Old French saussier, originally a dish for holding sauce, which is also the root of the word "sauce.".

How many meanings does “saucer” have?

“Saucer” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small, shallow dish that a cup sits on, often used to catch drips.

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial