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

The tater tots are loaded, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, and mesh well with the ketchup, as all tater tots should. —Kansas City Star, 29 Nov. 2025

Give your guests some options by serving with tiny bowls of ketchup, brown mustard, Dijon mustard, honey mustard, queso, or even Comeback sauce. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 26 Nov. 2025

For example, many condiments — like ketchup, salsa and teriyaki sauce — are quite salty, so order them on the side. —The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Nov. 2025

Sip chai or taste Currywurst, the post–World War II Berlin favorite of sausage topped with spicy curry ketchup. —Meena Thiruvengadam, Travel + Leisure, 25 Nov. 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