vinegar
Americannoun
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vinegars
plural
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a sour liquid consisting of dilute and impure acetic acid, obtained by acetous fermentation from wine, cider, beer, ale, or the like: used as a condiment, preservative, etc.
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Pharmacology. a solution of a medicinal substance in dilute acetic acid, or vinegar.
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sour or irritable speech, manner, or countenance.
a note of vinegar in his voice.
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Informal. vigor; high spirits; vim.
noun
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a sour-tasting liquid consisting of impure dilute acetic acid, made by oxidation of the ethyl alcohol in beer, wine, or cider. It is used as a condiment or preservative
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sourness or peevishness of temper, countenance, speech, etc
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pharmacol a medicinal solution in dilute acetic acid
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informal vitality
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of vinegar
1250–1300; Middle English vinegre < Old French, equivalent to vin wine + egre, aigre sour ( see eager)
Explanation
Vinegar is a liquid that's commonly used in cooking for its tart, acidic flavor. You're probably familiar with the taste of vinegar from things like salad dressing and pickles. While you might not want to drink a glass of vinegar, it's a useful ingredient in many recipes, both for its flavor, which varies depending on how it's made, and its tenderizing properties. Vinegar can also be used for cleaning, freshening laundry, killing pests, and taking the sting off a bite from a jellyfish or wasp, among many other uses. Vinegar means "sour wine," and that's exactly what it is— juice that's fermented way beyond wine.
Vocabulary lists containing vinegar
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.
See Examples For:
But I’d like to gently intercept your hand on the way there and redirect it toward wherever you keep your vinegar.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
In Piedmont, some winegrowers have chosen to turn part of their production into vinegar this year.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
One plant makes acetic acid, which is used in vinegar, paint and glue.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Instead, Blythe chose honey over vinegar and launched a lobbying effort to convince state legislators and the governor that the town needed some kind of economic rescue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
My stomach feels as if I’ve swallowed a quart of vinegar.
From "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko
All my spices and rice paper noodles; canned goods, condiments, vinegars, oils.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
Look beyond the basics: fruity vinegars like raspberry or yuzu; deeply savory options like Chinese black or umeboshi plum; something aged, herbal, or faintly mysterious, ideally with a good label.
From Salon ● Dec. 20, 2025
And just a few miles down the road is Rancho Olivos, an 8-acre olive oil farm that offers an assortment of delicious olive oils, produced from their own olives, along with several vinegars.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2025
Ferments are among the most famous of all preserved preparations: kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, vinegars, fish sauces.
From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2023
Similar vinegars may be made from blackberries and strawberries.
From Canned Fruit, Preserves, and Jellies: Household Methods of Preparation U.S. Department of Agriculture Farmers' Bulletin No. 203 by Maria Parloa
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
