soy

Definition

A common East Asian liquid sauce, made by subjecting boiled beans to long fermentation and then long digestion in salt and water.

Etymology

Etymology tree Chinese 醬油 /酱油 (jiàngyóu)obor. Japanese 醤油 Japanese そやbor. Dutch sojabor. English soy 1670s; borrowed from Dutch soja, from Satsuma Japanese 醤油 (そい, soi), variant of the standard Japanese 醤油 (しょうゆ, shōyu). Doublet of shoyu, orthographic borrowing from Middle Chinese 醬油 (tsjàng-yuw), from 醬 (tsjangᴴ, “bean paste”) + 油 (“oil”).

Example Sentences

• "I like a little soy with my rice."
• "Pour in four tablespoonfuls of sherry and four tablespoonfuls of soy, as much vinegar as the jar will hold, and cover closely until wanted."
• "These candles are made from soy."