saucers

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   Small shallow plates that a cup sits on, used to catch drips and hold a spoon.

   Grammar: This is the plural of 'saucer'. Use 'a saucer' for one and 'saucers' for two or more.

   Patterns

   • a cup and saucer
   • put a cup on a saucer
   • a set of saucers

   She brought in the tea with cups and saucers on a tray.

   The saucers were stacked neatly in the cupboard next to the cups.

   He put his spoon on the saucer and stirred his coffee.

2. 2nounpluralinformal

   Round flying objects that some people claim to see in the sky, often thought to be from another world.

   Grammar: Usually in the phrase 'flying saucers'. Singular: 'a flying saucer'.

   Patterns

   • flying saucers
   • see a flying saucer
   • report a flying saucer

   In the 1950s, newspapers were full of stories about flying saucers.

   Several people claimed they saw flying saucers above the field.

   The film is about aliens arriving in flying saucers.

Word forms

Common combinations

a cup and saucer

She gave me a delicate cup and saucer for my birthday.

flying saucers

The children drew pictures of flying saucers landing in the park.

a set of cups and saucers

We bought a set of cups and saucers for the new office.

put the cup back on the saucer

Please put the cup back on the saucer so it doesn't mark the table.

Synonyms and how they differ

dish

A 'dish' is usually bigger and deeper than a saucer; a saucer is mainly for holding a cup.

plate

A plate is flat and used for food, while a saucer is small and sits under a cup.

Word family

saucer noun

The singular form: a small shallow plate for a cup.

Commonly confused: saucers or sauce?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “saucers”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words