n. & v.
--n.
1. any of various liquid or semi-solid preparations taken as a relish with food; the liquid constituent of a dish (mint sauce; tomato sauce; chicken in a lemon sauce).
2 something adding piquancy or excitement.
3 colloq. impudence, impertinence, cheek.
4 US stewed fruit etc. eaten as dessert or used as a garnish.
--v.tr.
1. colloq. be impudent to; cheek.
2 archaic a season with sauce or condiments. b add excitement to.
Phrases and idioms:
sauce-boat a kind of jug or dish used for serving sauces etc. sauce for the goose what is appropriate in one case (by implication appropriate in others).
Derivatives:
sauceless adj.
Etymology: ME f. OF ult. f. L salsus f. salere sals- to salt f. sal salt