What does saucer mean?
A saucer is a small, shallow dish, commonly used beneath a teacup or coffee cup and sometimes for serving small portions of food. The basic meaning is straightforward and appears in familiar expressions such as “cup and saucer.” In the phrase “flying saucer,” however, the word acquires a more imaginative and popular meaning: a flat or disc-shaped object, particularly one associated with reports of unidentified flying objects. Because saucers are thin and broadly rounded, their shape provides a natural metaphor for airborne craft described in sensational sightings. The word can consequently shift from referring to an ordinary household object to suggesting mystery, aviation, or alleged extraterrestrial activity. In modern usage, “saucer” generally remains an everyday noun for a small dish, while “flying saucer” preserves the older figurative association with a mysterious disc-shaped craft.
nounA small, shallow dish, especially one used beneath a cup or for serving a small portion of food. By extension, the word can refer to a flying object described as having a saucer-like shape.
- A small, shallow dish, especially one used beneath a cup or for serving food.
- An object, especially a supposed extraterrestrial craft, described as saucer-shaped.
"She set the teacup on its saucer and poured herself a small dish of biscuits."
"The waitress brought a cup and saucer, along with a small plate of cake."
"The witness said the strange light looked like a saucer hovering above the trees."
Use the plural when referring to multiple saucers or dishes.
"The café set out cups and saucers on the counter."
The everyday dish gave English one of its most famous images: the flying saucer, the saucer-shaped craft of countless UFO stories.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does saucer come from?
The English word entered Middle English from Old French forms connected with sauce dishes and developed into the modern spelling “saucer.” Its name reflects the longstanding association between a saucer and a small dish used with sauces or other foods. The word belongs to the same broad etymological family as “sauce” and “saucy,” which preserve related ideas of sauce, seasoning, and sauce-like qualities.
Related word forms
How saucer is actually used
In literal use, saucer usually refers to a small dish and commonly occurs with “cup and saucer.” The phrase “flying saucer” is strongly associated with unidentified flying objects, though the expression is also used figuratively for any very flat, rapidly moving object.
Easily confused with saucer
A saucer is typically smaller and shallower than a plate, and is often associated with a cup or small serving of food.