Sauced

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /sɔːst/

Definitions

1. Having consumed alcohol to a noticeable degree ; to be coated or covered with a liquid condiment
2. Showing signs of intoxication from drinking alcoholic beverages ; being covered by a flavored or savory liquid used in cooking
3. Experiencing the effects of drinking alcohol ; having a surface layer of sauce or liquid seasoning applied

Etymology: "Sauced" is the past tense and participle of "sauce," so its history runs through the noun. That noun reached English in Middle English from Old French "sause," which came from Vulgar Latin "salsa," a noun formed from the feminine of Latin "salsus," meaning "salted." The Latin root is "sal," salt, so the original idea of a sauce was simply something salty poured over food. The word's other sense, a liquid that makes food taste better, is an older idea than the modern meaning suggests. Ancient Greek had "hēdusma," a seasoning or relish, which traces back to the same ancestral root as the English adjective "sweet." Food flavouring and pleasure were linked from the start, though the Greek and Latin words took different routes to describe them. The drunken sense is a much later, informal extension, built on the idea of being thoroughly coated or steeped in something, and it is the usage most people encounter today.

Synonyms: seasoned, flavored, spiced, marinated, drenched

Antonyms: bland, plain, unseasoned