ketchup

[ kech-uhp, kach- ]

noun

1. a condiment consisting of puréed tomatoes, onions, vinegar, sugar, spices, etc.
2. any of various other condiments or sauces for meat, fish, etc.:

   mushroom ketchup; walnut ketchup.

ketchup

/ ˈkɛtʃəp /

noun

1. any of various piquant sauces containing vinegar

   tomato ketchup

Word History and Origins

Origin of ketchup¹

First recorded in 1705–15; from Malay kəchap “fish sauce,” perhaps from dialectal Chinese kéjāp (Guangdong) or ke-tsiap (Xiamen), akin to Chinese qié “eggplant” + chī “juice”

Word History and Origins

Origin of ketchup¹

C18: from Chinese (Amoy) kōetsiap brine of pickled fish, from kōe seafood + tsiap sauce

Example Sentences

The sauce or dressing varieties are just as varied as ketchup, sweet mustard, spicy mustard, garlic and, the most popular, French dressing.

From Salon

When she dives into the Trump photo — or, as she refers to it: “a Halloween mask covered in ketchup” — and everything that it brought her, her act enters its most resonant stretch.

From Salon

When I was initially recipe testing to create a cheese steak, I looked in my pantry and pulled out my staples: soy sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, ginger, garlic, mozzarella, unsmoked provolone, Italian cherry peppers, etc.

From Salon

One passing man drops his burger, leaving it smeared with ketchup.

From BBC

In the hour before a recent game, Freedman and I were chatting next to a ketchup dispenser.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dressing
• gravy
• horseradish
• mustard
• pepper
• relish
• salsa
• salt
• sauce
• seasoning
• spice