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 Late in 2023, investigators working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found dangerous levels of lead in applesauce, likely stemming from a cinnamon spice grinder. Aaron Specht, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2024 There’s a pork and applesauce take of moist roasted pork loin served with sauce made with apple butter, on a bed of buttery pureed potatoes and green beans with tiny pieces of strip bacon ($28). The Indianapolis Star, 27 Feb. 2024 What if someone ate recalled cinnamon applesauce with chromium? USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024 That’s far lower than the 2,000 to 5,000 parts per million detected in the ground cinnamon from Ecuador that contaminated the applesauce pouches. Jonel Aleccia, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024 The agency conducted tests across the country after at least 460 children were sickened last year by illnesses linked to applesauce pouches. Detroit Free Press, 8 Mar. 2024 The agency has said cinnamon was the most likely source of the lead contamination in the applesauce pouches. Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 7 Mar. 2024 Although the levels of lead found in the ground cinnamon products are far lower than what was found in some cinnamon applesauce pouches, the agency is advising consumers that prolonged exposure to these products may be unsafe. Brenda Goodman, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 The children's dinner ($7) is chicken nuggets with french fries, applesauce, milk, and ranch or BBQ sauce. Journal Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'applesauce.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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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Dictionary Entries Near applesauce

Cite this Entry

“Applesauce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/applesauce. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.

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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