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cocktail sauce

American  

noun

  1. any of various sauces served with a seafood cocktail, typically one consisting of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, horseradish, and seasonings.


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.

Only a fool would meddle with the classic cocktail sauce recipe.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025

“Over the years, we’ve sold our cocktail sauce and our tartar sauce to Metropolitan Markets and, you know, local little mom-and-pop grocery stores around here,” Reese said.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 7, 2023

Peel the shrimp and serve with chilled cocktail sauce.

From Washington Times • May 28, 2023

It can also be made with salt-cured fish, and modern cooks often use sprats in tomato sauce, a popular pantry staple of tiny herring canned in a purée that tastes a bit like cocktail sauce.

From New York Times • May 16, 2022

“You have cocktail sauce on you, Lita,” he said.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart