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Definition of fish sauce
fish sauce
Plural:fish sauces
fish sauce Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
5
Tier
2
Usage
Top 10k
• noun
1
A pungent, savory liquid condiment made from fish or krill that have been coated in salt and fermented, widely used as a staple seasoning in Southeast Asian and East Asian cuisines.
Example
"She added a splash of fish sauce to the pad thai to give the noodles an authentic, savory depth."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for fish sauceWord Nuance & Usage
While raw fish sauce has a notoriously strong and pungent aroma, it is valued in cooking for imparting a deep, savory umami flavor rather than a distinctly 'fishy' taste.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
A literal descriptive compound of 'fish' and 'sauce'. It serves as the English equivalent for traditional fermented condiments like Thai 'nam pla' and Vietnamese 'nước mắm'. A similar condiment called 'garum' was extensively used in ancient Roman cuisine.
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Fish sauce. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/fish sauce