vinegar

noun

vin·​e·​gar ˈvi-ni-gər How to pronounce vinegar (audio)
1
: a sour liquid obtained by fermentation of dilute alcoholic liquids and used as a condiment or preservative
2
: ill humor : sourness
3
: vim

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 Add the red pepper flakes, black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and lemon zest. The View, ABC News, 22 Nov. 2023 To get your pan as good as new, add equal parts white vinegar and water to soak in the pan. Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2023 Make the Vinegar Whipped Cream: Whisk heavy whipping cream, champagne vinegar and salt together until stiff peaks form. Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Nov. 2023 Combined with couscous and a dressing made from maple syrup, mustard, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and more, the final product felt fresh yet filling. Abby Wilson, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2023 Easily accessible and environmentally conscious, vinegar uses its acidic makeup to break down stains. Gia Yetikyel, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2023 Now, Balo Orozco, the owner of Sunset Cultures, is making fruit vinegars with the same vibrancy and lush fruit flavors as his kombucha, using up excess fruit so nothing goes to waste. L.a. Times Food Staff, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2023 Any hint of spice dissolves immediately upon making contact with my tongue, leaving shriveled notes of tomato, ginger, and vinegar. Megan Wahn, Bon Appétit, 30 Oct. 2023 Performance: During in-lab testing, our testers used a mixture of vinegar and water, and melted chocolate to simulate types of cat waste. Katherine Alex Beaven, Peoplemag, 10 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vinegar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of vinegar was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near vinegar

Cite this Entry

“Vinegar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vinegar. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

vinegar

noun
vin·​e·​gar ˈvin-i-gər How to pronounce vinegar (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce vinegar (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on vinegar

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!