saucer
gb/sˈɔsɚ/ us/sˈɔsɚ/
A2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
small shallow dish for a cup
A small plate that a cup sits on.
Usage pattern:
a saucer (for [a cup])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes call a saucer a "plate"; a saucer is usually smaller and made for a cup.
Synonyms
small dish (More general; not specifically for a cup.)
Collocations
cup and saucer
|coffee saucer
|tea saucer
|matching saucer
|set the cup on the saucer
|chip the saucer
|clean the saucer
|a saucer of milk
|a china saucer
|a porcelain saucer
Themes
food_and_drink
|daily_life
|home
Examples
- She set the espresso cup back on its saucer.
- A little coffee had spilled onto the saucer.
- The antique cup came with a matching saucer.
Learner examples
- The cup is on the saucer.
- Please bring a cup and saucer.
Noun
B1
entity
2
tray under a plant pot
A shallow tray under a plant pot to catch water.
Usage pattern:
a saucer under [a plant pot]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with a cup saucer; context usually makes the meaning clear (plants vs. cups).
Synonyms
drip tray (Emphasizes catching water; common in gardening and appliances.)
Collocations
plant saucer
|pot saucer
|terracotta saucer
|plastic saucer
|put a saucer under the pot
|water collecting in the saucer
|empty the saucer
|a saucer for the planter
Themes
home
|gardening
Examples
- Put a saucer under the plant pot so it doesn’t leak onto the floor.
- After watering, she emptied the saucer to keep the roots from sitting in water.
- The terracotta saucer cracked in the cold.
Learner examples
- The plant pot sits on a saucer.
Noun
B1
entity
3
UFO shaped like a disc
A UFO that looks like a flat round dish.
Usage pattern:
a saucer (in the sky)
Common mistake:
In this meaning, saucer usually appears with flying or in a UFO context; by itself it can be unclear without context.
Synonyms
UFO (More general; does not imply a specific disc shape.)
Collocations
flying saucer
|a saucer-shaped craft
|see a saucer
|spot a saucer
|alien saucer
|a saucer in the sky
|a silver saucer
|a hovering saucer
Themes
science_fiction
|media
Examples
- He claimed he saw a flying saucer hovering over the field.
- The movie features a giant saucer descending over the city.
- A saucer-shaped craft appeared on the radar, then vanished.
Learner examples
- They saw a flying saucer in the sky.
Grammar
Dictionary form
saucer
IPA
GB/sˈɔsɚ/
US/sˈɔsɚ/
Syllables & stress
sau - cer (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (sau)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: saucer
- Plural: saucers
Expressions
cup and saucer
1/kˈʌp ˈænd sˈɔsɚ/
fixed phrase
a matching cup with its saucer
A cup and the small plate under it.
Examples
- Each guest was given a cup and saucer for tea.
- The shop sells delicate cup and saucer sets.
- She bought a single cup and saucer to replace the broken one.
eyes like saucers
1/ˈaɪz lˈaɪk sˈɔsɚz/
idiom
informal
eyes very wide with surprise
Someone looks very surprised, with eyes wide open.
Examples
- Her eyes were like saucers when she saw the bill.
- The kids’ eyes went like saucers as the magician pulled out a rabbit.
- His eyes were like saucers after hearing the news.
saucer-eyed
1/sˈɔsɚ ˈaɪd/
fixed phrase
informal
having very wide open eyes
Looking very surprised, with big wide eyes.
Examples
- They stood saucer-eyed as the fireworks filled the sky.
- He stared at the screen, saucer-eyed with disbelief.