ketchup

noun

ketch·​up ˈke-chəp  ˈka- 

variants or less commonly catchup

ˈke-chəp  ˈka- 

or catsup

ˈke-chəp  ˈka-  ˈkat-səp 

: a seasoned pureed condiment usually made from tomatoes

Examples of ketchup in a Sentence

She put ketchup on her hamburger.

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead of ketchup or ranch, there’s a small cup of barbecue sauce on the side. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2024

Blue Plate's Creamy Cocktail Sauce adds the traditional ingredients of ketchup and horseradish to their original mayonnaise recipe. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 31 May 2024

Defense attorneys can throw any number of hamburgers against the wall to see if any ketchup sticks. —Peter Grier, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 May 2024

The budget-conscious cookout menu includes hot dogs, buns, ketchup, mustard, relish, potato salad, corn on the cob, potato chips, soda pop, juice boxes, ice pops and watermelon. —Kate Gibson, CBS News, 24 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed, directly or via Malay kecap (phonetically kətʃap) "fish sauce," from Southern Min (Chinese dialects of southeast Fujian) kôe-chiap (Xiamen), kê-chiap (Zhangzhou), from kôe, kê "salted or pickled fish or shellfish" + chiap "juice, sap"

First Known Use

circa 1690, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ketchup

• tomato ketchup

Kids Definition

ketchup

noun

ketch·​up

variants also catchup

ˈkech-əp,

ˈkach-

or catsup

ˈkech-əp 

ˈkach-;

ˈkat-səp

: a thick seasoned sauce usually made from tomatoes