soy sauce

noun

variants or less commonly soy or chiefly British soya sauce
: a brown, salty liquid that is made by subjecting soybeans and roasted grain (such as wheat) to long fermentation in brine and is used especially in Asian cooking and as a condiment
At its most basic, soy sauce is a fermented liquid made from soybeans and wheat. Soybeans contribute a strong, pungent taste, while wheat lends sweetness.Lisa McManuse
My most recent kick has been Chinese. For more than a year now I've been stir-frying everything in ginger and garlic and adding soy sauce.Andrew A. Rooney
see shoyu

Examples of soy sauce in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Add the brandy and cook for 1 minute, then add the mustard, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cream and 1⁄2 cup of the reserved broth. The Editors, Field & Stream, 6 Mar. 2024 Add the cola, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and coriander seeds and scrape the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Ali Slagle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024 Chloe’s Vegan Sweet Potato Mac ’n’ Cheese Sweet potato transforms into a silky, cheesy sauce with the help of plant milk, Dijon mustard and soy sauce. Anna Luisa Rodriguez, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024 Add brown sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and coconut water. Judy Bart Kancigor, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 Place chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sake and black pepper. Andrea Weigl, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 Stir in ginger, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, star anise, cinnamon sticks and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 29 Jan. 2024 In addition to dressing, this versatile dispenser can also hold soy sauce, cooking wine, olive oil, and more. Rachel Trujillo, Southern Living, 23 Feb. 2024 The couple leans on ingredients like avocado oil mayo, coconut aminos instead of soy sauce or tamari, coconut sugar, kefir instead of yogurt or sour cream, miso, nutritional yeast instead of cheese, and stevia instead of table sugar and the like. Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'soy sauce.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of soy sauce was in 1775

Dictionary Entries Near soy sauce

Cite this Entry

“Soy sauce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soy%20sauce. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

soy sauce

noun
: a brown sauce made from soybeans and used especially in Chinese and Japanese cooking
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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