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acidulous

[ uh-sij-uh-luh s ]
/ əˈsɪdʒ ə ləs /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR acidulous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

slightly sour.
sharp; caustic: his acidulous criticism of the book.
moderately acid or tart; subacid.

RELATED WORDS

acerbic, dry, piquant, sharp, tart, acerb, biting, cutting, mocking, sarcastic, ironical

Nearby words

acidophilus milk, acidosis, acidulant, acidulate, acidulent, acidulous, aciduria, aciduric, acidy, acierate, aciform
Also acidulent.

Origin of acidulous

From the Latin word acidulus, dating back to 1760–70. See acid, -ulous
Related formssub·a·cid·u·lous, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for acidulous

British Dictionary definitions for acidulous

acidulous

acidulent

/ (əˈsɪdjʊləs) /

adjective

rather sour
sharp or sour in speech, manner, etc; acid

Word Origin for acidulous

C18: from Latin acidulus sourish, diminutive of acidus sour
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

Word Origin and History for acidulous

acidulous

adj.

1769, "sub-acidic," used figuratively for "sour-tempered;" from Latin acidulus "slightly sour," a diminutive of acidus (see acid (adj.)).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for acidulous

acidulous

[ ə-sĭj′ə-ləs ]

adj.

Slightly acid or sour.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.