fish sauce

American  

[fish saws] / ˈfɪʃ ˌsɔs /

noun

fish sauces plural

1. a spicy sauce made from the fermented liquid of salt-cured fish, especially anchovies, popular as a flavoring or condiment in East and Southeast Asian cuisine.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fish sauces
  plural

Example Sentences

He tweaks the flavor by adding fresh ingredients, including fish sauce, soy sauce, chunks of beef and sachets of Chinese herbs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026

So fill your pantry with fish sauce caramel corn, vegan chorizo Chex mix, cult-favorite bar nuts and a top-notch burnt olive ranch dip—and your shot glasses with perfect pairings for each.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

The main course, a whole fried sea bream, served with a ginger fish sauce caramel, peanuts, herbs, lemon, and wild pepper leaves to delicately wrap each fried morsel, truly blew me away.

From Salon • Sep. 3, 2025

“We use so much fish sauce it’s crazy,” said Pichetrungsi, noting that “really good high-quality fish sauce, it’s gonna come from Thailand or Vietnam.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2025

Someone should be kissed for having the heart to send cases of fish sauce to Guam.

From "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai