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Webster 1828 Edition

Ketchup

KETCH'UP

,
Noun.
A sauce. [See Catchup.]

Definition 2024

Ketchup

Ketchup

See also: ketchup and kétchup

German

Alternative forms

  • Ketschup

Noun

Ketchup m, n ‎(genitive Ketchup or Ketchups, plural Ketchups)

  1. ketchup

Derived terms

ketchup

ketchup

See also: Ketchup and kétchup

English

A bottle of tomato ketchup.
A bottle of mushroom ketchup.

Alternative forms

Noun

ketchup ‎(countable and uncountable, plural ketchups)

  1. (uncountable) A tomato-vinegar-based sauce.
    1. (US standard of identity) A food comprising tomato concentrate and any of vinegar, sweetener, spices, flavoring, onion, and garlic.
  2. (countable) Such a sauce more generally (not necessarily based on tomatoes).
    fish ketchup; fruit ketchup; mushroom ketchup

Translations

Usage notes

The term is now used almost exclusively to refer to tomato ketchup. However, at one time it was a more general term for sauce, and it is still occasionally used in this way, as with grape ketchup and mushroom ketchup.

The spelling ketchup became significantly preferred in the United States due to the popularity of the Heinz brand, which shortly after its introduction in 1876 switched from catsup to this spelling to distinguish itself from competitors. Other major brands, such as Hunt, subsequently followed, with Del Monte only switching to ketchup in 1988.[2]

This condiment is more commonly and somewhat ambiguously called tomato sauce outside of the Americas. In South Africa, the word ketchup is not generally understood.

Verb

ketchup ‎(third-person singular simple present ketchups, present participle ketchupping, simple past and past participle ketchupped)

  1. (transitive) To cover with ketchup.
    • 1867, John Maddison Morton, Aunt Charlotte's maid: a farce in one act
      It strikes me she's "ketchupped" the lot! I won't touch a morsel!
    • 1973, Horizon (page 15)
      "Well," said Chuck, ketchupping his hamburger, "I'd rather do without King Lear than put up with the human agony it sprang out of. I'd rather not have the Eroica than have the big bloody conqueror it tries to immortalize."
    • 2009, David Silverman, Twinkle (page 4)
      Their fellow diners, like their ketchupped grub, were appropriately dashed and splattered with paint and plaster, reading their Suns and Daily Mirror.

References

  1. ↑ “The etymological origin of the word ketchup is a matter of confusion.” Pure Ketchup, by Andrew F. Smith, ISBN 1-56098-993-9. Page 4.
  2. ↑ “Is There a Difference Between Ketchup and Catsup?”, Slate, Aisha Harris, April 22, 2013
  • “ketchup” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).

Dutch

Pronunciation

Etymology

Borrowing from English ketchup.

Noun

ketchup m ‎(plural ketchups, diminutive ketchupje n)

  1. ketchup

Synonyms

Derived terms

French

Etymology

Borrowing from English ketchup.

Pronunciation

  • (France) IPA(key): /kɛt.ʃœp/
  • (Quebec) IPA(key): /kɛt.ʃɔp/

Noun

ketchup m ‎(plural ketchups)

  1. ketchup

Polish

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowing from English ketchup.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkɛt͡ʂup/, rare: /ˈkɛt͡ʂap/

Noun

ketchup m inan

  1. ketchup

Declension

Portuguese

Noun

ketchup m (plural ketchups)

  1. Alternative spelling of catchup

Quotations

For usage examples of this term, see Citations:ketchup.

Spanish

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowing from English ketchup.

Noun

ketchup m ‎(plural ketchups)

  1. ketchup

Swedish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkɛtːɕɵp/

Noun

ketchup c

  1. ketchup

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkɛt͡ʃap/

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