# Worcestershire

/ˈwʊstəʃɝ/ (US) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/worcestershire
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

a county in the West Midlands of England. Most people know the name because of a famous dark, spicy sauce used to flavor food.

For teachers: a non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands of England. In general usage, the term almost exclusively refers to the fermented liquid condiment originally created in the city of Worcester.

## Examples

- I always add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce to my soup.
- The recipe calls for a tablespoon of Worcestershire to give the beef stew a deeper, more savory flavor.
- While the name refers to an English county, the global recognition of Worcestershire is primarily due to the commercial success of the pungent sauce first bottled there in the nineteenth century.

## Pitfalls

- Not "Wor-ces-ter-shire sauce" but "Woos-ter-sher sauce" — The pronunciation is highly irregular; the 'ce' is silent and the 'r' is often dropped in British English.

## Usage notes

- Usually functions as a modifier in the compound noun 'Worcestershire sauce', though often used alone in culinary contexts.

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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.