What does ketchup mean?
Ketchup is a thick, smooth, savory condiment most commonly made from tomatoes and seasoned with ingredients such as sugar, vinegar, salt, and spices. It is especially associated with burgers, fries, hot dogs, sandwiches, and snack foods, and is often used as a table condiment. The word is neutral in British and American English, while “catsup” is a familiar alternative spelling. Although tomato ketchup dominates present-day usage, the term has a broader history that includes savory sauces based on other ingredients. Its etymology also preserves the influence of Southeast Asian cuisine: the English word is generally linked to a Hokkien term for shrimp sauce or shrimp paste, which was adapted as it entered English. Ketchup is therefore both a familiar food word and an example of how culinary exchange shapes vocabulary.
nounA thick, smooth, savory condiment usually made from tomatoes, often seasoned with sugar, vinegar, salt, and spices. In some contexts, the term can also refer more broadly to a thick tomato-based or other savory sauce.
- A thick, smooth, savory condiment usually made from tomatoes and commonly served with burgers, fries, hot dogs, and other foods.
- In broader or historical usage, a thick savory sauce or relish, including varieties made from ingredients other than tomatoes.
"She added a generous spoonful of ketchup to the burger."
"He put ketchup on his fries and added mustard to the hot dog."
"The recipe calls for a spoonful of ketchup to give the sauce sweetness and acidity."
Usually uncountable; the plural is rare and refers to distinct varieties or amounts.
"The shop sells several ketchups made with different ingredients."
Ketchup began as a shrimp sauce from Southeast Asia, so the familiar red condiment carries a savory history far older than its modern tomato recipe.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does ketchup come from?
The English word ketchup is generally traced to the Hokkien Chinese term kê-tsiap, associated with 蝦醬 and meaning shrimp sauce or shrimp paste. It entered English through contact with Southeast Asian cuisines and was adapted in spelling to ketchup; its early English sense was broader than the modern tomato condiment. Dutch and Afrikaans forms such as ketjap and katjap reflect the same borrowed word.
How ketchup is actually used
Ketchup is a neutral, everyday word in both British and American English and is generally used as an uncountable mass noun. “Catsup” is a common alternative spelling, especially familiar in American usage. Outside the familiar tomato context, the word can refer to other established varieties, such as mushroom or spicy ketchup.
Easily confused with ketchup
Catsup is an alternative spelling of ketchup, especially associated with American English, rather than a substantially different condiment.