vinegar

American  

[vin-i-ger] / ˈvɪn ɪ gər /

noun

• vinegars
  plural

1. 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.

2. Pharmacology. a solution of a medicinal substance in dilute acetic acid, or vinegar.

3. sour or irritable speech, manner, or countenance.

   a note of vinegar in his voice.

4. Informal. vigor; high spirits; vim.

---

vinegar British  

/ ˈvɪnɪɡə /

noun

1. 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

2. sourness or peevishness of temper, countenance, speech, etc

3. pharmacol a medicinal solution in dilute acetic acid

4. informal vitality

---

verb

1. (tr) to apply vinegar to

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• vinegar-like
  adjective
• vinegarish
  adjective
• vinegarlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• vinegars
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vinegar vinegars

Before she left, she filled multiple bags with pesto, pasta, Parmigiano reggiano cheese, balsamic vinegar and salt, and made it last back home before she returned to Italy, this time in Florence, in February 2024.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

For this cold noodle dish from Gu Grocery, blend toasted sesame seeds with soy sauce, rice vinegar, pickled mustard greens, and orange zest and juice for maximum flavor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

In its defence the restaurant owner argued that just 60% of diners had opted to try the ants, while the rest were served alternatives like fermented vinegar and edible flowers.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

White wine vinegar works beautifully, though I also love the softer personality of rice vinegar and the faint fruitiness of white balsamic.

From Salon ● Jun. 16, 2026

The second night, I applied a liberal dose of white liniment—Uncle Holt’s own concoction of hartshorn, arnica, witch hazel, camphor gum, eggs, and cider vinegar.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

All my spices and rice paper noodles; canned goods, condiments, vinegars, oils.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026

Give me tart vinegars and grassy, unctuous oils — infused with almonds, pistachios and lots of fresh, bright herbs.

From Salon ● May 31, 2025

Ferments are among the most famous of all preserved preparations: kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, vinegars, fish sauces.

From Salon ● Dec. 6, 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.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2023

Any of the perfumed vinegars that are required to produce opalescence, when mixed with water, must contain some gum-resin, like the hygienic vinegar, as above.

From The Art of Perfumery And Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants by George William Septimus Piesse

Related Words

• marinade