soup

[ soop ]

noun

1. a liquid food made by boiling or simmering meat, fish, or vegetables with various added ingredients.

   Synonyms: potage, stock, broth

2. Slang. a thick fog.
3. Slang. added power, especially horsepower.
4. Slang. nitroglycerin.
5. Photography Slang. developing solution.

verb phrase

1. Slang.
   1. to improve the capacity for speed or increase the efficiency of (a motor or engine) by increasing the richness of the fuel mixture or the efficiency of the fuel, or by adjusting the engine.
   2. to give spirit or vivacity to; enliven:

      a political rally souped up by the appearance of the candidates.

soup

/ suːp /

noun

1. a liquid food made by boiling or simmering meat, fish, vegetables, etc, usually served hot at the beginning of a meal
2. informal.
   a photographic developer
3. See peasouper
   informal.
   anything resembling soup in appearance or consistency, esp thick fog See also peasouper
4. See nitroglycerine
   a slang name for nitroglycerine
5. in the soup informal.
   in the soup in trouble or difficulties

Other Words From

• soupless adjective
• souplike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of soup¹

1645–55; 1940–45 soup fordef 6; < French soupe, Old French souppe, sope < Germanic; compare Dutch sopen to dunk. See sop

Word History and Origins

Origin of soup¹

C17: from Old French soupe, from Late Latin suppa, of Germanic origin; compare Middle High German suppe, Old Norse soppa soup

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. from soup to nuts,
   1. from the first through the last course of a meal.
   2. from beginning to end; to a complete, encompassing degree; leaving nothing out.
2. in the soup, Informal. in trouble:

   He'll be in the soup when the truth comes out.

More idioms and phrases containing soup

In addition to the idiom beginning with soup , also see duck soup ; from soup to nuts ; in the soup ; thick as thieves (pea soup) .

Example Sentences

We have been lied to about what is and is not healthy, and there’s no hard evidence that putting a can of mushroom soup in your casserole every once in a while is going to result in serious physical harm.

From Eater

The pandemic in many ways has already showcased the strength of the sector, with consumers stockpiling candy and chocolate along with their canned soup and peanut butter.

From Fortune

There’s no telling whether Davis, like Rapoport, will make regular appearances in test kitchen videos, but if she does, fans can expect to see her cooking up soup and fish, her two favorite types of dishes, according to her CNN interview.

From Eater

Microorganisms chemically modify the metal, setting it free from the surrounding rock and allowing it to dissolve in a microbial soup, from which the metal can be isolated and purified.

From Singularity Hub 

If we had switched gravity off at the beginning of the universe, it would still be a big, boiling hot soup of fundamental particles.

From Quanta Magazine

There was also the grapefruit diet, the cabbage soup diet, and the cookie diet.

From The Daily Beast

By nightfall, I had showered, eaten some soup that a friend brought me, and I slept in my room for 12 solid hours.

From The Daily Beast

Once inside, he removes a cup of broccoli-cheddar soup from his bag and goes to heat it up.

From The Daily Beast

Tear Soup: A Recipe for Healing after Lossby Pat Schwiebert.

From The Daily Beast

The shards of one can be used to cut someone (never mind the constant availability of soup-can tops).

From The Daily Beast

She had forced herself to eat most of her soup, and now she was picking the flaky bits of a court bouillon with her fork.

From Project Gutenberg

"There were a good many," replied Edna, who was eating her soup with evident satisfaction.

From Project Gutenberg

Mr. Pontellier, who was observant about such things, noticed it, as he served the soup and handed it to the boy in waiting.

From Project Gutenberg

Had put on her Sunday gown, and had nothing to do now but hold up her head high, and sup her soup out of a silver spoon.

From Project Gutenberg

Meanwhile, the judicious establishment of free soup kitchens in the streets alleviated the necessities of the mob.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• circumstance
• crisis
• deadlock
• dilemma
• hardship
• imbroglio
• impasse
• mess
• plight
• posture
• quagmire
• quandary