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 sourness or peevishness of temper, countenance, speech, etc
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
vin•e•gar /ˈvɪnɪgɚ/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- a sour liquid made of impure acetic acid which is obtained from sour wine, cider, beer, ale, or the like and is used on food, in cooking, as a preservative, etc.
vin•e•gar
(vin′i gər),USA pronunciation n.
vin′e•gar•like′, adj.
- 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.
- Drugs[Pharm.]a solution of a medicinal substance in dilute acetic acid, or vinegar.
- sour or irritable speech, manner, or countenance:a note of vinegar in his voice.
- Informal Termsvigor;
high spirits;
vim.
- Old French, equivalent. to vin wine + egre, aigre sour (see eager1)
- Middle English vinegre 1250–1300
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::