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

There’s a lot more to dressing a hot dog than a squirt of ketchup or mustard. — Ryan McCarthy, Saveur, 2 Sep. 2026

What surprised me most was how distinctly Korean the breakfast sandwich tasted despite using ingredients like American cheese, ketchup, and white bread. — Beverly Kim, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026

Another customer said a box arrived containing little more than a lime, peanuts, ketchup and vinegar, with no meat, recipe cards or most of the ingredients needed to prepare meals. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Why Kraft Heinz uses Europe to test products Kraft Heinz is tapping Europe’s fragmented markets as a testing ground for new products like zero-sugar ketchup before taking them global. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 26 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