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acetous

American  
[as-i-tuhs, uh-see-] / ˈæs ɪ təs, əˈsi- /
Also acetose

adjective

  1. containing or producing acetic acid.

  2. sour; producing or resembling vinegar; vinegary.


acetous British  
/ əˈsiː-, ˈæsɪˌtəʊs, -ˌtəʊz, ˈæsɪtəs /

adjective

  1. containing, producing, or resembling acetic acid or vinegar

  2. tasting like vinegar

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of acetous

From the Late Latin word acetōsus, dating back to 1770–80. See acetum, -ous

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Everything should be perfectly sweet and clean, and a strict supervision kept up, that the laborers do not drop any crumbs of bread, &c., among the grapes, as this will immediately cause acetous fermentation.

From The Cultivation of The Native Grape, and Manufacture of American Wines by Husmann, George

The acetous acid is the produce of a peculiar fermentation of vegetable substances, succeeding the vinous, in which ardent spirit it is procured, and succeeded by the putrefactive, in which volatile alkali is generated.

From Heads of Lectures on a Course of Experimental Philosophy: Particularly Including Chemistry by Priestley, Joseph

Hence we have a phosphorous and a phosphoric acid, an acetous and an acetic acid; and so on, for others in similar circumstances.

From Elements of Chemistry, In a New Systematic Order, Containing all the Modern Discoveries by Lavoisier, Antoine

We have given to radical vinegar the name of acetic acid, from supposing that it consists of the same radical with that of the acetous acid, but more highly saturated with oxygen.

From Elements of Chemistry, In a New Systematic Order, Containing all the Modern Discoveries by Lavoisier, Antoine

For whilst invective of a general kind runs off like water from the rock of usage, even Circumlocution Offices are not insensible to the acetous force of satire.

From Dickens English Men of Letters by Ward, Adolphus William, Sir