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

From picky eaters who need a dab of ketchup with every meal to family barbecues, HEINZ tomato ketchup was there. —Molly Burford, Southern Living, 20 May 2026

Serve them in a tasty bun topped with mustard, ketchup, and all the fixings. —Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 19 May 2026

To him, Hepburn was just his sweet, hands-on, sometimes cheesy mother who loved to sneakily eat spaghetti with ketchup and snuggle with him while watching tv. —Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 15 May 2026

Condiments Condiments like ketchup, mayonnaise, and soy sauce are high in sodium and other preservatives. —Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 14 May 2026

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