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 Filling the room with nostalgic scents of applesauce and jelly doughnuts, this candle adds an extra touch of sweetness to the Hanukkah season. Jamie Fischer, Southern Living, 22 Nov. 2023 Cooked vegetables, eggs, applesauce, white rice and salmon are also known for being quick and easy to digest. Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 9 Aug. 2023 The powder needs to be refrigerated and mixed with foods like applesauce or yogurt. Katie Mogg, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2023 Pair with pork tenderloin and homemade applesauce for a comforting and kid-friendly meal. Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 4 Nov. 2023 Once the baby starts eating solids, parents can also use this to make homemade applesauce and more. Price at time of publication: $100 What new mom doesn’t need coffee? Christin Perry, Parents, 16 Oct. 2023 Luckily in my experience, an adjacent table will laugh off my kiddo’s meltdown over the consistency of their applesauce side, and the staff also seems to understand if a French fry gets launched across the room every so often. Melissa Willets, Parents, 31 Oct. 2023 If replacing butter with applesauce, use half the amount of butter for applesauce. Julia Levy, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2023 For example, to replace a cup of sugar, used half a cup of applesauce. Marissa Wu, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2023 See More

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 9 Dec. 2023.

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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