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

Rat studies show that the acetic acid found in vinegar affects systems regulating blood pressure. —Amy Brownstein, Ms, Rdn, Verywell Health, 25 Apr. 2025

Quick Tip Pre-soak eggs in white vinegar for 2 to 3 minutes for more vibrant color! —Annabelle Canela, Parents, 16 Apr. 2025

Down in the basement, tidy racks held more than 15,000 glass jars: marmalades, pâté made from the meat of black Alpine pigs, and many vinegars—some flavored with white currants, others with spruce shoots or lavender. —Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2025

How to Remove Rust from Kitchen Knives To remove rust stains, soak the affected area in white vinegar anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, then gently scrub with a soft sponge or cloth, Hardaway says. —Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2025

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