fish sauce

American  

[fish saws] / ˈfɪʃ ˌsɔs /

noun

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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Example Sentences

Finish with lime juice, fish sauce or soy sauce, and a handful of herbs.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

A DJ, dressed in a traditional barong, blasts a dance remix of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” as a crowd gathers to take a shot of fish sauce together.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

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

"And actually, more excitingly there was evidence that they made a fermented fish sauce, and fish sauce was like the Roman tomato sauce, that they used on absolutely everything," Mr Biddulph said.

From BBC • Aug. 10, 2024

So many appetites wake up that Brother Vu just has time to cook rice and serve it with plain fish sauce.

From "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai