vinegar

noun

vin·​e·​gar ˈvi-ni-gər 

1

: a sour liquid obtained by fermentation of dilute alcoholic liquids and used as a condiment or preservative

2

: ill humor : sourness

3

: vim

Synonyms

• beans
• bounce
• brio
• dash
• drive
• dynamism
• energy
• esprit
• gas
• get-up-and-go
• ginger
• go
• gusto
• hardihood
• juice
• life
• moxie
• oomph
• pep
• punch
• sap
• snap
• starch
• verve
• vigor
• vim
• vitality
• zing
• zip

Examples of vinegar in a Sentence

glad to see his old friend was still full of vinegar after so many years

Recent Examples on the Web

Bar Mar's menu divides into the following sections: Little Snacks, like mussels in escabeche, made with mussels, sherry vinegar and pimentón, served with sourdough. —Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 23 Oct. 2024

After Aileen's murder, Morris says Araujo wiped down the motel room—using the vinegar that Ronnie Jones would later smell. —Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 19 Oct. 2024

To balance this cynic’s vinegar, Kushner gives us a sage. —Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024

For that, spray the interior walls of the dishwasher with vinegar and place a bowl on the top rack of the dishwasher with one to two cups of vinegar and run a hot cycle with no detergent. —Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 14 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vinegre, from Anglo-French vin egre, from vin wine (from Latin vinum) + egre keen, sour — more at eager

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing vinegar

• balsamic vinegar
• cider vinegar
• mother of vinegar
• spit and vinegar
• vinegar eel
• vinegar fly
• wine vinegar

Kids Definition

vinegar

noun

vin·​e·​gar ˈvin-i-gər 

: a sour liquid obtained from cider, wine, or malt and used to flavor or preserve foods

Etymology

Middle English vinegre "vinegar," from early French vin egre (same meaning), literally, "sour wine," from vin "wine" and egre "sharp, sour, eager"; vin from Latin vinum "wine" and egre from Latin acer "sharp, sour, spirited" — related to eager, vine, vintage

Medical Definition

vinegar

noun

vin·​e·​gar ˈvin-i-gər 

1

: a sour liquid used as a condiment or a preservative that is obtained by acetic fermentation of dilute alcoholic liquids (as fermented cider, malt beer, or wine) or of dilute distilled alcohol

2

: a pharmaceutical solution of the active principles of drugs in dilute acetic acid usually prepared by maceration

aromatic vinegar