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

Fresh toppings and a smear of mayonnaise instead of the traditional ketchup and mustard combo. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 30 June 2025

Those are the only four months when California, which specializes in tomatoes for processing – think ketchup, salsa, tomato sauce and paste, tomato juice, etc. – leads the nation. —Ken Roberts, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

The company removed artificial colors, preservatives and flavors from its Kraft macaroni and cheese in 2016 and its Heinz ketchup has never used artificial dyes, according to Pedro Navio, North America president at Kraft Heinz. —Ali McCadden, CNBC, 17 June 2025

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Miso Barbecue Sauce This recipe from former cooking columnist Ben Mims adds red miso to barbecue sauce for a burst of umami that counteracts the sweetness of ketchup and honey. —Danielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2025

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

Rhymes for ketchup

• catsup

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