Thousand Island dressing

American  

noun

1. a seasoned mayonnaise, often containing chopped pickles, pimientos, sweet peppers, hard-boiled eggs, etc.

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Thousand Island dressing British  

noun

1. a salad dressing made from mayonnaise with ketchup, chopped gherkins, etc

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Etymology

Origin of Thousand Island dressing

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Skeptics say the sauce is similar to Thousand Island dressing, variations of which are used at McDonald’s and In-N-Out Burger.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 18, 2025

Trump received a replica gold crown from South Korea — and a meal featuring Thousand Island dressing, ketchup and a gold brownie.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 29, 2025

In fact, a testament to just how good these pickles are is that Carolyn began using them in her famous Thousand Island dressing.

From Salon • Jan. 18, 2024

Crab Louie, created with seafood from the Chesapeake and sauced with what tastes like Thousand Island dressing, is stuffed into fragile, Lilliputian cones with creamy avocado mousse.

From Washington Post • Mar. 10, 2023

I ate lettuce leaves with Thousand Island dressing, and caramel apples, and popcorn with butter.

From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate