saucer
Americannoun
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a small, round, shallow dish to hold a cup.
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something resembling a saucer, as in shape.
noun
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a small round dish on which a cup is set
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any similar dish
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of saucer
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English word from Old French word saussier. See sauce, -er 2
Explanation
A saucer is a small, rounded dish that sits beneath a tea or coffee cup. Other kinds of saucers include objects with a similar round shape — like a flying saucer. Saucers that live under cups are useful for catching drips from and protecting the table. Many mugs and cups come without saucers, but the cups in a traditional tea service have matching saucers, and coffee cups at a restaurant or cafe are also frequently served with saucers. Objects with a similar round shape can also be called saucers, including flying saucers and saucer-shaped TV antennas. The very earliest saucers were small sauce dishes, and the word stems from the Latin salsus, or "sauce."
Vocabulary lists containing saucer
Novel Study: Ten Days in a Mad-House, Chapters I–X
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Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
We’re barely allowed to sit with Barret’s guilt for unintentionally causing his hometown’s downfall when he invited Shinra to build a reactor there before we are whisked off to the frivolity of the Golden Saucer.
From New York Times • Feb. 22, 2024
At the Cup and Saucer tea shop, a couple of minute's drive from the community hall, the bunting is up, the royal crockery is ready and a special coronation brew has been prepared.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2023
“If even 1 in 1000 guests did this we’d all be better,” responded the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium in Houston.
From Washington Post • Feb. 17, 2022
"If you have the appropriate hedge ratio, you should want to lose money because you're making money on the other part of your portfolio," said Saucer.
From Reuters • Apr. 26, 2021
Eventually, reports are sent back to Project "Saucer" headquarters, often marking incidents closed.
From The Flying Saucers are Real by Keyhoe, Donald E. (Donald Edward)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
