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

Coyle said the gasoline was contained in a ketchup bottle. —Andrea May Sahouri, Detroit Free Press, 11 Sep. 2024

Get The Recipe Aside from the namesake bourbon, this recipe tosses the chicken in ketchup, brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, and apple cider vinegar for the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2024

For dinner, begin with the fried chicken, crunchy bites of boneless meat coated in sweet chili sauce, topped with fresh herbs, jalapeño and shallots with roasted banana ketchup for dipping. —Jennifer Kester, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024

In this case, ketchup and mustard were a perfect pairing for Deadpool and Wolverine’s signature red and yellow costumes, respectively. —Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Aug. 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