cocktail sauce

American

noun

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

You can serve the shrimp hot with the cocktail sauce or let them cool and serve them cold.

From Washington Times • May 28, 2023

The slight char brings out seafood’s sweetness, so for contrast, serve with tart lemons or a tangy cocktail sauce.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 13, 2023

Jumbo shrimp cocktail with cocktail sauce was eaten.

From Salon • Jun. 25, 2022

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

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023