catsup

IPA/ˈkætsʌp/
KK[kˈɛtʃəp]IPA/ˈkætsʌp/

catsup — noun

1. a thick, cold condiment prepared from tomatoes with vinegar, sugar, and spices,

1.nounA2
Definition

a thick, cold condiment prepared from tomatoes with vinegar, sugar, and spices, used to add flavour to burgers, hot dogs, and french fries; also spelled ketchup.

Example

Oscar squeezed a blob of catsup onto his burger and took a big bite.

uncountable noun; verb: squeeze + onto

Nadia dipped her fries into a small pool of catsup on her plate.

Common collocations
  • a bottle of catsup
  • a squeeze of catsup
  • a pool of catsup
  • put catsup on
  • dip in catsup
Synonyms
  • ketchup

    the standard modern spelling; catsup is now rare outside the US

  • tomato sauce

    in British English, tomato sauce is the same condiment; in American English, tomato sauce is a cooked sauce used in cooking, not a condiment

Usage Note

Catsup is less common than ketchup in modern English, but both spellings refer to the same condiment. It is nearly always uncountable.

Common Mistakes

I need a catsup for my fries.
I need some catsup for my fries.
catsup is uncountable, so use 'some' or 'a bottle of', not 'a catsup'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Catsup and ketchup are the same condiment — a thick, sweet-and-sour tomato sauce used on burgers, hot dogs, and fries. Ketchup is the dominant spelling worldwide, while catsup is an older variant that survives mainly in American English, especially on restaurant tables and in brands like Heinz (though Heinz labels say 'Ketchup'). Tomato sauce in British English refers to the same bottled condiment; in American English it means a plain cooked tomato purée used in cooking (e.g. in pasta sauce or soup), not the vinegar-spiced condiment. A British learner writing 'tomato sauce' for the condiment would be understood; an American learner would need 'ketchup' or 'catsup'.

catsup ↗ketchup ↗tomato sauce

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • a bottle of catsup
  • a squeeze of catsup
  • a pool of catsup

Prepositions

Etymology

Chinese (Hokkien)MalayEnglish

Catsup entered English in the late 1600s, probably from the Chinese (Hokkien) kê-tsiap, a fermented fish sauce. British colonists encountered it in Southeast Asia and brought the word back to England, where it gradually evolved into a tomato-based condiment by the 1800s. The spelling catsup was common in 19th-century American English; ketchup later won out as the standard form worldwide.