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

Scrape into a blender; add ⅓ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup ketchup, 1 tsp. — Nick Wong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026

Hence the ketchup bottle designed to stand on its head or the long-sleeve athletic shirts with thumbholes so hands stay warm while fingers stay free. — Marni Jameson, Arkansas Online, 21 Aug. 2026

Grabs a ketchup bottle and garnishes his face, before squirting mustard into his hateful, piggish eyes. — Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026

Toppings for the humble hot dog have evolved way beyond standard ketchup and mustard. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 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