Definition

Noun: A sweet condiment or sauce made by cooking cranberries with sugar (or another sweetener) and often water until the berries burst and the mixture thickens. It is traditionally served as an accompaniment to poultry, especially turkey.

Usage

Cranberry sauce is used as a mass noun (uncountable). It refers to the prepared food item itself. - It is commonly served during holiday meals, particularly Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in North America. - It can be homemade or store-bought, and comes in varieties ranging from a smooth, jellied form to a chunky, whole-berry relish.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Would you please pass the cranberry sauce?
  • My grandmother makes the best homemade cranberry sauce with orange zest.
  • A slice of turkey is not complete without a spoonful of cranberry sauce.

Advanced Usage

• "cranberry sauce" as a cultural reference: The phrase can symbolize traditional American Thanksgiving festivities.
  • For many, the smell of roasting turkey and cranberry sauce defines Thanksgiving.

Variants and Related Words

• Cranberry relish: A similar condiment where the cranberries may be raw or minimally cooked, often including other ingredients like nuts or citrus, resulting in a chunkier texture.
• Jellied cranberry sauce: A smooth, firm version that often retains the shape of the can it was molded in.
• Whole-berry cranberry sauce: A version where the cranberries remain largely whole or in large pieces within the sauce.

Synonyms

• Cranberry compote: A similar preparation, though "compote" may imply a looser, fruitier consistency.
• Cranberry conserve: A thicker, jam-like preparation that may include other fruits or nuts.

Related Phrases

• "like cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving": An idiom used to describe something that is an essential, traditional, or expected part of a specific event or situation.
  • Polite small talk is like cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving—it's just part of the ritual.

Noun

1. sauce made of cranberries and sugar