sauce

SaySAWS/sɔs/UK/sɔːs/SOHS/soːs/

Pluralsauces

Verbsauces, saucing, sauced

13 meanings of sauce

Practice

1
liquid for foodnouncountable or uncountable
A thick or thin liquid that you put on food to add flavor.
Like ketchup or gravy that makes plain food taste better.
She poured a rich sauce over the pasta.
The chicken came with a spicy dipping sauce.
UsageSay some sauce, or two sauces for two kinds.
2
ketchupnounAustraliaIndiaNew ZealandUKcountable or uncountable
A thick red topping made from tomatoes, much like ketchup.
Like ketchup squeezed from a bottle.
She squeezed a blob of red sauce onto her meat pie.
Do you want brown sauce or red sauce on your bacon roll?
UsageIn North America, say ketchup. Tomato sauce usually means a sauce used in cooking.
Similarketchup
Note
3
season foodverbtransitive
To put sauce on food, or to add seasoning.
He sauced the ribs before serving them.
Always sauce the pasta while it's still hot.
Similardress, season, flavor, coat

Less common meanings

4
alcoholnounslangcountable or uncountable
Alcohol, especially drinks like beer, wine, or spirits.
He's been hitting the sauce again lately.
I've been pretty much off the sauce during the last week, trying to get Pepper to like me again. (Horace won't drink with me any more.)
1993, Tristan Hawkins, PepperHere, sauce means alcohol, so off the sauce means not drinking.
UsageSay hit the sauce or off the sauce.
Similarbooze, liquor, drink, alcohol, grog
Note
5
talentnounslangcountable or uncountable
Energy, skill, or natural talent that makes someone impressive.
Like a spark inside someone that makes them really good at something.
That rookie has got the sauce on the court.
She brings real sauce to every performance.
UsageSay someone has the sauce; it is not about drinking.
Similarjuice
6
source (online)nounslang
Another spelling of source: where a picture or post first came from.
Anyone got the sauce for this picture?
He posted a wild news story but never gave the sauce.
UsageWrite sauce? in a comment, or use source in normal writing.
Note
7
cheeky wordsnoundatedcountable or uncountable
Rude, cheeky talk to someone in charge.
Don't give me any sauce, young man.
‘Well, you know what Matchett’s like! Just about bring herself to talk to me because I’m housemaid, but if the gardener’s boy so much as looks at ’er it’s sauce,’ said Sarah.
1967, Barbara Sleigh, JessamyHere, sauce means rude, cheeky behavior toward someone.
UsageSay Don't give me any sauce.
Similarcheek, impertinence, impudence, insolence, lip
Oppositerespect, courtesy, deference
Note
8
talk back toverbcolloquialtransitive
To talk rudely or cheekily to someone.
Don't sauce your mother like that.
He sauced the referee and got sent off.
Similarcheek, sass
Note
9
steroidsnouncountable or uncountable
Anabolic steroids, drugs used to build muscle.
He admitted to buying sauce to bulk up fast.
Trainers warned the gym about dealers selling sauce.
UsageLifters say sauce; doctors say steroids.
Similarsteroids, juice, roids
Note
10
send oververbslangtransitive
To send or pass something to someone.
Sauce me the ball!
He sauced his friend the keys before leaving.
UsageSay sauce me the ball.
Similarsend, pass, hand, give, slip
11
nounobsoleteUScountable or uncountable
An old word for vegetables from the garden, often eaten with meat.
Note
12
verbarchaic
To make something more interesting, exciting, or enjoyable.
Then fell she to sauce her desires with threatenings.
a. 1587, Philip Sidney, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia]
13
nounrare
A soft drawing crayon used for shading.

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Origin

It came through Old French from Latin salsus, meaning 'salted', which comes from the Latin word for salt.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Sauce came through Old French from Latin salsus. en.wiktionary.org
Latin salsus means 'salted'. en.wiktionary.org
Salsus derives from the Latin word for salt. en.wiktionary.org