applesauce

noun

ap·​ple·​sauce ˈa-pəl-ˌsȯs How to pronounce applesauce (audio)
1
: a relish or dessert made of apples stewed to a pulp and sweetened
2
slang : bunkum, nonsense

Did you know?

English offers a smorgasbord of words for nonsense, some of which are better known as words for food. We have baloney, spinach, rhubarb, and toffee, not to mention full of beans. And if none of those offerings are to your taste, you can say that's pure banana oil! Seemingly innocuous applesauce was first introduced to this menu back in the early 20th century. Back then, there may have been some bias against the real stuff. Poet Wallace Stevens’s turn-of-the-century description of a meal consisting of "some unnameable smathering of greasy fritters . . . and of course the inevictable applesauce" shows a lack of respect that must have been shared by others.

Examples of applesauce in a Sentence

all that talk about taking up the farming life was just a lot of spoiled applesauce
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Substitute butter with healthy oils, bananas, pumpkin, or applesauce. Rachael Zimlich, Verywell Health, 18 June 2025 Wednesday, June 18, * Volunteer Appreciation, Ham, sweet potatoes, green beans, whole grail roll, applesauce, milk. Ramona Sentinel, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2025 Some canine favorite flavors include peanut butter, applesauce, vanilla, pumpkin, and carrot. Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025 Today’s vintage file applesauce cake is from the 1930s, and the measurements are precise and perfect for a moist and delicious easy snack cake in homage to all of our features department journalists from yesteryear. Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for applesauce

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of applesauce was in 1672

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Cite this Entry

“Applesauce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/applesauce. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

applesauce

noun
ap·​ple·​sauce -ˌsȯs How to pronounce applesauce (audio)
: a sauce or dessert made of sweetened stewed apples
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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