soy sauce

noun

variants or less commonly soy or chiefly British soya sauce

: a brown, salty liquid that is made by subjecting soybeans and roasted grain (such as wheat) to long fermentation in brine and is used especially in Asian cooking and as a condiment

At its most basic, soy sauce is a fermented liquid made from soybeans and wheat. Soybeans contribute a strong, pungent taste, while wheat lends sweetness.

—Lisa McManuse

My most recent kick has been Chinese. For more than a year now I've been stir-frying everything in ginger and garlic and adding soy sauce.

—Andrew A. Rooney

see shoyu

Examples of soy sauce in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

An’s is a cubed beef tenderloin stir-fried with soy sauce, butter, garlic and black pepper and served with a salad covered in a fish-sauce vinaigrette dressing. —Noelle Phillips, The Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2024

Other ingredients that can be difficult for restaurant owners to source in Chicago include Barako coffee, banana ketchup and Filipino soy sauce (toyo). —Ahmed Ali Akbar, Chicago Tribune, 16 Oct. 2024

Other cucumber creations he’s made include ones with thousand island dressing, bacon bits and cheddar; crab and kewpie mayo; and peanut butter, chili crisps, and soy sauce. —Andrew Watman, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024

The soy sauce, rice vinegar, and honey creates the perfect salty, sweet, and bright glaze for the fish. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 13 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

soy sauce

noun

: a brown sauce made from soybeans and used especially in Chinese and Japanese cooking