Catsup
/ˈkæt.səp/noun
A tomato-based condiment similar to ketchup.
Did you know?“Catsup” is one of several historical English spellings of ketchup, a word that likely entered English from a Southeast Asian sauce name, showing how a global condiment got renamed again and again.
Etymological Timeline
17th Century
Malay/Chinese
kê-tsiap / ke-chiap (reconstructed)
“A fermented fish or shellfish sauce in Southeast Asia”
Late 17th Century
English
ketchup
“A spiced sauce, originally not necessarily tomato-based”
18th Century
English
catsup
“An English spelling variant of ketchup”
19th Century
English
catsup
“A common U.S. spelling for tomato sauce condiment”
Modern English
English
catsup
“A less common spelling of ketchup, especially in the United States”