sauce

1 of 2

noun

ˈsȯs How to pronounce sauce (audio)
 usually  for sense 4 ˈsas
1
: a condiment or relish for food
especially : a fluid dressing or topping
2
: something that adds zest or piquancy
3
: stewed fruit eaten with other food or as a dessert
4
: pert or impudent language or actions
5
slang : liquor
used with the

sauce

2 of 2

verb

ˈsȯs How to pronounce sauce (audio)
 usually  for sense 3 ˈsas
sauced; saucing

transitive verb

1
a
: to dress with relish or seasoning
b
: to cover or serve with a sauce
2
a
archaic : to modify the harsh or unpleasant characteristics of
b
: to give zest or piquancy to
3
: to be rude or impudent to

Examples of sauce in a Sentence

Noun She tried several sauces before she found one she liked. chicken in a cream sauce Cover the strawberries with the chocolate sauce. This pizza needs more sauce. I've had enough of your sauce!
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Mama Meatball was known for her incredible meat sauce. Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2024 Field Notes An ayurvedic breakfast of cassava mash, salad and squash and pumpkin seeds with a creamy roasted red pepper sauce. Chloe Sorvino, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Tien elevates the idea by wrapping ground Wagyu beef, perfumed with lemongrass and funky with fish sauce, in easier-to-find perilla leaves that give the meat a minty freshness. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 One is a roasted chile one with more depth, and the other is a fresh chile with fish sauce and ginger. Kristine M. Kierzek, Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024 Its shelves are stocked with seasonal produce and flowers, the farm’s popular hot pepper sauces and a tightly edited collection of antique table goods including terrines, serving platters and ceramic pitchers. John Wogan Juliet Izon Gisela Williams Lindsey Tramuta Julia Halperin Jameson Montgomery, New York Times, 29 Feb. 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 Get six free boneless or traditional wings in any sauce or seasoning. Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 25 Feb. 2024 The bakery chain has some special limited-time sweets for the holiday including Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter cakes (prices start at $32) made with chocolate chips and Reese's Peanut Butter Chips, topped with cream cheese frosting and drizzled with peanut butter sauce. Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
The special features a 20-ounce dry-aged bone-in NY strip, full lobster, sauce Americaine, pomme puree, and glazed carrots with pearl onions. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 9 Feb. 2024 Add broccoli and cheese to sauce: Add cheese, and stir until melted and smooth. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2023 Adjust consistency with extra water as needed until sauce smoothly coats noodles. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 29 Jan. 2024 Then return the wings, sauced, to the air fryer, so the sauce can adhere to the wings and caramelize slightly—if left on the entire cook time, the sauce would likely burn. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2024 Or, make your go-to sauce plus an exciting experiment. Aleksandra Crapanzano / Photographs By F. Martin Ramin/the Wall Street Journal, Food Styling By Kim Ramin , WSJ, 10 Nov. 2023 Get a jump on Thanksgiving menu prep or sauce up any meal with this easy turkey gravy from scratch—no drippings required. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Oct. 2023 Whisk together all sauce ingredients until sugar dissolves. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2023 The rainbow trout entree arrives sauced in nouvelle cuisine squiggles of garlic-chive oil and pil pil (traditionally made by blending salt cod, garlic and olive oil) and served over rice pilaf caramelized in corn juice is magnificent. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2023

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin salsa, feminine of salsus salted, from past participle of sallere to salt, from sal salt — more at salt

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sauce was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near sauce

Cite this Entry

“Sauce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sauce. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sauce

1 of 2 noun
1
: a thick liquid that is eaten with or on food to add flavor
a tangy pasta sauce
ice cream with chocolate sauce
2
: boiled or canned fruit
cranberry sauce
3
: rude or impolite language or actions

sauce

2 of 2 verb
sauced; saucing
1
: to add sauce to : season
2
: to be rude or impudent to

More from Merriam-Webster on sauce

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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