ketchup
B1Informal, Everyday
Definition
Meaning
A thick, tangy, sweet-and-sour sauce made primarily from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, and spices, used as a condiment.
A generic term for any similar-style condiment based on a primary ingredient other than tomato (e.g., mushroom ketchup, banana ketchup). In metaphorical use, can refer to a ubiquitous or standard accompaniment.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily an uncountable mass noun ('some ketchup'). Can be countable when referring to types ('various ketchups') or single-serving containers ('two ketchups, please').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The spelling 'ketchup' is dominant in both varieties, but 'tomato sauce' is more common in British English for the same product, especially among children or in informal contexts. 'Tomato ketchup' is the full, unambiguous term in the UK. The US term 'ketchup' is almost universal.
Connotations
In the US, strongly associated with classic American fast food (burgers, fries). In the UK, it carries similar connotations but competes with 'brown sauce' (HP Sauce) in some traditional contexts (e.g., with a fry-up).
Frequency
'Ketchup' is extremely high frequency in AmE. In BrE, 'ketchup' is common, but 'tomato sauce' is a frequent synonym.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[to put/squirt/squeeze] ketchup [on/onto NP][to have NP] with ketchup[to prefer NP] without ketchupVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “'Everything but the kitchen sink' (can include 'ketchup' as an example of a random item)”
- “'As American as apple pie and ketchup' (a playful variation on the idiom)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
In the food industry, retail, and logistics (e.g., 'ketchup market share', 'ketchup supply chain').
Academic
Rare, except in historical, cultural, or food science studies (e.g., 'The globalisation of ketchup as a cultural condiment').
Everyday
Extremely common in domestic and restaurant contexts regarding food preparation and consumption.
Technical
In food science: product formulation, viscosity, preservation, packaging (e.g., 'the rheology of ketchup').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He ketchupped his sausage roll liberally.
American English
- She ketchupped every single fry on her plate.
adjective
British English
- He was left with a ketchup-stained shirt.
American English
- It was a classic ketchup-and-mustard colour scheme for the picnic.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Can I have ketchup with my chips, please?
- The ketchup is in the fridge.
- I prefer a little less ketchup on my hot dog.
- This brand of ketchup is too sweet for my taste.
- The debate over whether ketchup belongs on a full English breakfast is a cultural minefield.
- He accidentally knocked over the bottle, leaving a ketchup puddle on the tablecloth.
- The company's attempt to market a gourmet, artisanal ketchup met with considerable scepticism.
- The historical etymology of 'ketchup' traces back to East Asian fish-based sauces, not tomatoes.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'Catch up' with your fries by adding KETCHUP.
Conceptual Metaphor
KETCHUP IS A COATING/COVERING (e.g., 'He drowned his chips in ketchup'). KETCHUP IS A STANDARD/UBIQUITY (e.g., 'It's as common as ketchup').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating as 'кетчуп соус' – it's redundant. Just 'кетчуп' is correct.
- Be aware that Russian 'томатный соус' can refer to a wider range of tomato-based sauces for cooking, not just the table condiment 'ketchup'.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'katsup' or 'catchup' (non-standard).
- Using it as a countable noun inappropriately (e.g., 'I want three ketchups' is only correct if asking for three packets).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is a common British English synonym for 'ketchup'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In a US and international context, 'ketchup' is the specific sweet-and-sour tomato condiment. In the UK, 'tomato sauce' often means the same thing as table ketchup. Elsewhere, 'tomato sauce' can be a broader term for any savoury sauce made from tomatoes, used in cooking.
'Catsup' is an archaic and now regional (primarily Southern US) variant. 'Ketchup' is the standard modern spelling globally and should be used by learners.
Yes, informally, particularly in American English. It means to apply ketchup to something (e.g., 'He ketchupped his burger'). It is considered casual and humorous.
The word 'ketchup' derives from the Hokkien Chinese word 'kê-tsiap', a fermented fish sauce. British traders encountered similar sauces in Southeast Asia in the 17th century. The tomato-based version we know today was developed in the United States in the 19th century.