# sauce

/ˈsɔs/ (US) · /sˈɔːs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sauce
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. food condiment

noun · CEFR A2

a thick liquid served with food to add flavour.

For teachers: a liquid or semi-solid accompaniment to food, often thickened and seasoned to enhance flavour.

- He poured a little tomato sauce over his pasta and added some cheese.
- The chef reduced the red wine sauce until it reached a velvety consistency that perfectly complemented the roasted venison.

### 2. alcohol

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

a slang word for alcoholic drinks.

For teachers: alcoholic liquor; typically used in the phrase 'on the sauce' to describe habitual drinking.

- He has been off the sauce for three years and feels much healthier.
- After a decade on the sauce, he finally sought professional help to address his dependency and reclaim his career.

### 3. rude behaviour

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Informal

rude or disrespectful talk.

For teachers: impertinent or cheeky speech or behaviour.

- I don't want any more of your sauce, young man.
- The teacher was unimpressed by the student's sauce, noting that such impertinence would not be tolerated in a professional environment.

### 4. internet source

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

a word used online when asking for the original source of a picture or video.

For teachers: an intentional misspelling of 'source' used in digital communities to request the origin of media.

- Does anyone have the sauce for this image?
- The user posted the sauce in the comments section so that others could find the artist's original portfolio.

### 5. to add flavour

verb · CEFR B2

to add a sauce or extra flavour to a dish.

For teachers: to season or dress food with a sauce; figuratively, to add zest or interest to something.

- She decided to sauce the fish with a lemon and butter mixture.
- The author chose to sauce the historical narrative with witty anecdotes to make the academic subject more accessible to a general audience.

## Examples

- I like to put tomato sauce on my pasta.
- The chef spent hours reducing the red wine sauce to ensure it had a rich, concentrated flavor for the steak.
- While the base ingredients of the dish are simple, the complexity of the peppercorn sauce provides a necessary contrast that elevates the entire meal.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.