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Glite Dictionary
barbecue sauce

barbecue sauce

17 1.0
A spicy, sweet and tangy sauce used on grilled or smoked meat
  • noun
  • /ˈbɑːrbɪkjuː sɔːs/
translation icon : salsa barbacoa
  • They weren't too bad for formed chicken, especially dipped in Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce—YUM.
  • chicken with barbecue sauce
  • brush with barbecue sauce
  • grilled with barbecue sauce

I got the spicy barbecue sauce.

Examples

  • The chef served the ribs with a side of tangy barbecue sauce.

  • You have barbecue sauce all over your face.

    Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

  • A little barbecue sauce would be nice.

    3 Women (1977)

  • I used my favorite barbecue sauce instead.

    Blog text (5)

  • Then add about 3/4 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Chicken in barbecue sauce that's been simmering in the crock pot since yesterday.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • The hot tang of barbecue sauce filled the air, strong enough to bring me to the verge of a sneeze.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • She arranged the wings on a cookie pan covered with Reynolds P162 Wrap and poured barbecue sauce over them, the sharp smell making her hungry for the finished meat.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • He drizzled barbecue sauce over the grilled chicken for extra flavor.

  • She enjoyed dipping her fries into barbecue sauce at the cookout.

Synonyms

sauce
vsbarbecue sauce
569 1.0

A liquid served with food to add taste

is a specific sweet, spicy, and tangy tomato kind used with grilled or smoked meats
ketchup
vsbarbecue sauce
123 1.0

A thick, sweet tomato sauce used on food like fries or burgers

adds smoky, tangy notes and pairs especially with grilled or smoked meats
steak sauce
vsbarbecue sauce
  • US
5 2.5

A strong savory topping for steak and other meats

is sweeter and tangier with a smoky profile for grilled or smoked meats
chili sauce
vsbarbecue sauce
  • US
1 1.0

A spicy sauce made from peppers, tomatoes, and vinegar to add heat to food

is used mainly to flavor grilled or smoked meats rather than general condiments
tomato ketchup
vsbarbecue sauce
1 1.0

A thick red sauce made from tomatoes and used on foods like fries

is sweeter and tangier and is specifically paired with grilled or smoked meats
taco sauce
vsbarbecue sauce
1 1.0

A spicy tomato sauce used on tacos

is more smoky, sweet, and tangy and used with grilled or smoked meats
spicy dipping sauce
vsbarbecue sauce
2.5

A sauce that tastes hot from spices for dipping food like chicken or dumplings

is formulated to coat and complement grilled or smoked meats rather than for dipping

How Flavorful

hot sauce
34 1.0
soy sauce
  • US
29 1.0
barbecue sauce
17 1.0
ketchup
123 1.0

Surface Forms

barbecue sauce singular
barbecue sauces plural

Morphology

barbecue + sauce

The meaning is directly compositional: 'barbecue' (grilled/smoked meat or the cooking style) combined with 'sauce' (a condiment) yields a sauce used for barbecued foods. This noun–noun compound follows transparent culinary naming patterns found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

The noun barbecue sauce comes from old cooking where barbecue, called 'barbacoa' in Spanish, meant meat cooked on a wooden frame over a fire, and cooks would brush a thick, tangy sauce on the meat as it smoked. That's why barbecue sauce means a sweet, spicy sauce used to flavor 'grilled' or 'smoked' meat.