Forms: α. 4–6 vynegre (4 fyn-), 5–6 vynagre, 6 -ygre; 4–7 vinegre (5 uin-, win-, 6 winnegre), 7 vin’gre; 5 venagre, 5–7 venegre; 5 vyneygre, -aygre, 7 vinaigre. β. 5–6 vyneger, 6 -egyr, vynyger; 5–7 vineger (7 -ere, vinneger), 6–7 viniger (7 win-); 5 venegur, 6 -eger; 5, 7 vinager, 7 vinaiger, 5–6 vineager. γ. 6 vynegar, 6– vinegar (8 ven-). δ. 4 vynacre, 5, 7 vinacre, 7 vinaicre; 6 vinycare, vinyker, vyneker, venyker, -iker, Sc. vinakir, venaker, wynakar, -akir, 7 Sc. winiker. [a. OF. vyn egre (141h cent.), vinaigre (so mod.F.), f. vin:—L. vīnum wine + egre, aigre EAGER a. Cf. Pr. vina(i)gre, Sp. and Pg. vinagre, It. vinagro. Some of the spellings are influenced by the later F. form, or by mod.L. vinum acre.]
1. A liquid (consisting of acetic acid in a dilute form) produced by the acetous fermentation of wine and some other alcoholic liquors or special compounds, and employed either pure or with various admixtures in the preparation of food (or as a relish to this) and in the arts, etc.
The chief sources of vinegar are indicated by the names wine-, malt-, sugar-, and wood-vinegar. Radical vinegar: see RADICAL a. 9. Thieves’ vinegar: see THIEF 5.
α. a. 1300. Cursor M., 16762 + 13. Vinegre & gall þe jews blend And to his mouth put þore.
c. 1315. Shoreham, I. 829. Al so longe hyt hys blod, Ase lest þe forme or wyne, Nauȝt of fynegre kende [= kind] chald.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. V. 70. Venim…, or vinegre, I trouwe, Walleþ in my wombe.
a. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc., 40. Þe Iuyse of celidone y-medled wiþ vinegre and warmed at þe fire.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., I. xiv. 37. Flessh, benes, salt and vynaygre.
a. 1500. Bale’s Chron., in Six Town Chron. (1911), 118. Powles steple was sodenly on fire … but it was holpen and quenched wt venegre.
1502. Arnolde, Chron., a iij b/1. To make winnegre shortly if nede be.
1552. Huloet, Vynygre, and honye sodden together, oxymeli.
1561. Hollybush, Hom. Apoth., 2. Let the same … put a litle vinegre thereto.
1662. Charleton, Myst. Vintners (1675), 164. Of which we have an instance in the making of Vinegre.
a. 1699. J. Beaumont, Psyche (1702), IX. 81. A flood, to which most fretful Vinaigre [1648 Vinaiger] Is gentle Oile.
β. c. 1408. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 52. In vinager et cepis emptis. Ibid. (1409), 53. In j quart de vineger empt.
c. 1420. Liber Cocorum (1862), 6. Goode wyne schalle turne to venegur be dene.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., xxviii. 105 (Harl. MS.). Vyneger was gode,… wyn is gode,… and muste shalle be gode.
1502. Arnolde, Chron., 72 b/1. To make veneger shortli if [ye] haue nede.
1539. Elyot, Cast. Helthe, 22. Olyues … dothe corroborate the stomake … being eaten with vyneger.
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, V. iii. 133. Vineger to coole the Ordinance.
1608. Armin, Nest Ninn. (1842), 20. The king calls for winiger to his sallet, because his sweet meate should haue sower sauce.
1612. Webster, White Devil, IV. iii. 105. Best wine Dying makes strongest vinneger.
1647. Cowley, Mistr., Passions, iii. Since Love by mixing Poyson there, Has made it worse than Vinegere.
1660. Boyle, New Exp. Phys. Mech., 189. Spirit of Vinager being try’d after the same manner, exhibited a moderate number of bubbles.
γ. 1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., 148. Hard Cheese wrapped in cloutes wet in Vinegar … returne to a softnesse.
1596. Lodge, Wits Miserie, M. One cast his paile of water at his head, another his oile, another his vinegar.
1612. Woodall, Surg. Mate, Wks. (1653), 11. Vinegar I utterly mislike.
1652. in Gross, Gild Merchant (1890), I. 133. In buying and selling a can of vinegar.
1732. Pope, Ess. Man, II. 138. As heav’ns blest beam turns vinegar more sowre.
1750. trans. Leonardus’ Mirr. Stones, 93. If it be drenched nine times in vinegar, it makes a fine eye-salve.
1789. W. Buchan, Dom. Med. (1790), 109. They ought … to keep the patient very clean, to sprinkle the room where he lies with vinegar, or other strong acids.
1815. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, II. 386. Vinegar appears to have little or no effect upon iron, unless assisted by the air.
1838. T. Thomson, Chem. Org. Bodies, 1033. The weaker the wine or the beer…, the more readily it is converted into vinegar.
1888. Encycl. Brit., XXIV. 241/1. All sources of alcohol may be regarded as possible materials for making vinegar.
δ. a. 1400. in Rel. Ant., I. 196. Seeth the rote in vynacre of wyne.
1497. Naval Acc. Hen. VII. (1896), 88. Vinacre,… j hoggshed.
c. 1500. Kennedy, Passion of Christ, 963. Intill wynakar þai soupit it full sone.
1533. Gau, Richt Vay, 41. Thay suld … giff to hime vinakir and gal to drink.
1583. Shuttleworths’ Acc. (Chetham Soc.), 8. A querte of vinycare, iiijd. Ibid. (1583–4), 16. For foure quartes of veniker, xvjd. Ibid. (1586), 26. A gallon of vyneker, xvjd.
1652. Gaule, Magastrom., 44. The water of the wisemen, the philosophers vinacre, the minerall water.
1691. in Hawick Archæol. Soc. Trans. (1905), 13/2. I[tem] for osters and winiker, brandi and spis, [£]0. 6. 0.
fig. a. 1670. Hacket, Abp. Williams, I. (1693), 59. To stoop this Vinacre to the very Lees; some will say [etc.].
† b. ellipt. The accidental conversion of wine into vinegar. Obs.–1
1584. R. Scot, Discov. Witchcr., XII. xiv. (1886), 201. A charme against vineager. That wine wax not eager, write on the vessell [etc.].
c. With a and pl. A particular kind, or special preparation, of vinegar.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 13. The fallacy of trusting to the hydrometer for determining the strength of vinegars.
1875. H. C. Wood, Therap. (1879), 18. Vinegars are those preparations in which vinegar, or dilute acetic acid, is used as the menstruum.
2. In allusive use: a. With reference to the painful or harsh effect of vinegar on a wound, or on the teeth (after Prov. x. 26).
1548. Udall, Erasmus Par. Mark ii. 20. He that put in the vinegre of sorowe, dyd also giue him the oyle of good hope.
1590. Nashe, Mart. Marprel., Wks. (Grosart), I. 224. It is vineger to his teeth, and maketh him very sawcie with his g. of Cant.
1645. Quarles, Sol. Recant., III. xii. To qualify with oyle The soule-afflicting vin’gre of his toyle.
1656. in Clarendon, Hist. Reb., XV. § 109. Our desire is … not to pour Vineger but Oyl into the wounds.
b. With reference to Hannibal’s use of vinegar in making his way over the Alps, according to Livy XXI. 37 (cf. Juvenal, x. 153).
Cf. the quotation for vinegar-railing in 6.
1636. Quarles, Elegie, Wks. (Grosart), III. 11/1. We cut our way Through these our Alpine griefes, and sadly rise With the sharp vinegre of suffused eyes.
1776. in Boswell, Johnson, 12 April. Davies said of a well-known dramatick authour, that ‘he … made his way as Hannibal did, by vinegar; having begun by attacking people.’
1779. Warner, in Jesse, Selwyn & Contemp. (1844), IV. 108. The Alps of your difficulties subside before you, and without vinegar.
3. fig. Speech, temper, etc., of a sour or acid character. (Cf. 5 b.)
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., III. iv. 158. Heere’s the Challenge, reade it: I warrant there’s vinegar and pepper in’t.
1681. Crowne, Hen. VI., Prol. A little Vineger against the Pope.
1848. Dickens, Dombey, xlii. Mrs. Pipchin … freshened the domestics with several little sprinklings of wordy vinegar.
1873. [see VERJUICE sb. 2].
† b. In the phr. to wish one at vinegar. Obs.–1
1774. Earl Carlisle, in Jesse, Selwyn & Contemp. (1844), III. 73. He will soon do something, and play some prank, which I dare say his uncle will wish him at vinegar for.
4. slang. (See quots.)
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Vinegar, a Cloak.
1725. New Cant. Dict., Vinegar,… the Fellow that makes a Ring, and keeps Order among Wrestlers, Cudgel-Players, &c.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. T., Vinegar, a name given to the person, who with a whip in his hand, and a hat held before his eyes, keeps the ring clear at boxing matches and cudgel playings.
5. attrib. and Comb. a. Attrib., as vinegar-bottle (also fig.), -cask, -cruet (also fig.), -manufactory, -pot, -poultice, -powder, -work, -yeast; obj. genitive, as vinegar-drawer, -maker, -making; also vinegar-flavo(u)red, -tart adjs.
1459. Paston Lett., I. 490. Item, j. *venegre botell.
1593. Nashe, Christ’s T., To Rdr. It will bee some of their destinies to carrie the vineger bottle ere they die.
1602. 2nd Pt. Return Parnass., I. ii. 1. What Ingenioso, carrying a Vinegar bottle about thee, like a great schole-boy giuing the world a bloudy nose?
1706. Stevens, Span. Dict., I. Vinagrera, a Vinegar-bottle, or Cruit.
1837. Hebert, Engin. & Mech. Encycl., II. 850. In some country districts, the people keep … a *vinegar cask, into which they pour such wine as they wish to acetify.
1713. Lond. Gaz., No. 5086/3. A Sett of Casters with *Vinegar Crewets.
1744. Parsons, in Phil. Trans., XLIII. 187. A little Piece of Camphire, exactly shaped like a common Vinegar-Crewet, having a round Bottom, and a long taper Neck.
1851. H. Melville, Whale, xvii. Mrs. Hussey soon appeared with a mustard-pot in one hand and a vinegar-cruet in the other.
1873. Leland, Egypt. Sketch-Bk., 113. A morose, narrow-minded, hide-bound set of vinegar-cruets.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Laconics, Wks. 1711, IV. 12. He is a *Vinegar-drawer.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 158. *Vinegre dregs are knowne to be verie good for to heale burnes.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas, VII. xii. ¶ 18. A *vinegar-flavoured vintage of Parnassus.
1611. Cotgr., Vinaigrier,… a *Vineger glasse, violl, or bottle. Ibid., Vinaigrier, a Vineger-man, or *Vineger-maker.
1697. Lond. Gaz., No. 3283/3. All Malsters…, Brewers,… Victuallers, and Vinegar-makers. Ibid. (1723), No. 6134/4. John Gregory,… Distiller and Vinegar-maker.
1853. Ure, Dict. Arts (ed. 4), II. 905. This axiom cannot be too strongly inculcated into the minds of vinegar-makers.
1862. Miller, Elem. Chem., Org. (ed. 2), 60. In the ordinary process of *vinegar-making from sugar and water.
1611. Cotgr., Vinaigrier, a *Vineger-man, or Vineger-maker.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 1278. *Vinegar manufactory, by malt.
1842. Penny Mag., 29 Oct., 425/1. The vinegar-manufactories are but few in number.
1669. R. Montagu, in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.), I. 448. A *vinegar pot, oil pot, and sugar box.
1854. Mayne, Expos. Lex., Cataplasma Aceti,… the *vinegar poultice; made of vinegar and bread crumb, or the like.
1753. Chambers’ Cycl., Suppl., s.v., A sort of *Vinegar-powder, or Vinegar in a dry form.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, Wks. (Grosart), V. 307. Let none of these scumme of the suburbs, be too *vinegar tarte with mee.
1608. [Tofte], Ariosto’s Sat., IV. (1611), 53. A viniger tart looke or clowdy brow.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Rape, The Rape is … put into a Place to sour itself, before it is cast into the *Vinegar Vessel.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 3. When new vessels are mounted in a *vinegar work, they must be one third filled with the best vinegar that can be procured. Ibid., 2. Several azotized substances serve as re-agents towards the acetous fermentation,—such as vinegar ready-made, *vinegar-yeast, or lees.
b. Attrib., in the sense ‘extremely sour in temper or disposition’; also in combs., as vinegar-faced, -hearted adjs.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., I. i. 54. Other of such vineger aspect, That they’ll not shew their teeth in way of smile.
1597. Return fr. Parnass., I. ii. 165. Such barmy heads wil alwaies be working, when as sad vineger wittes sit souring at the bottom of a barrell.
1654. H. L’Estrange, Chas. I. (1655), 28. The Commons nothing mortified with these tart and vinacre expressions [of the king], kept close to their proper stations.
1662. Rump Songs (1874), I. 161. From a vinegar Priest on a Crab-tree stock,… Libera nos.
1694. Motteux, Rabelais, V. iii. 11. More grum, vinegar-fac’d,… than any kind whatsoever in the whole Island.
1824. Miss Ferrier, Inher., xxix. The habitual vinegar expression of his long triangular visage.
1842. Miall, in Nonconf., II. 145. A peevish and vinegar-hearted step-mother.
1846. De Quincey, Orthogr. Mutineers, Wks. 1860, XIV. 108. He was too vinegar a fellow for them; nothing hearty or genial about him.
1847. E. Brontë, Wuthering Heights, ii. Vinegar-faced Joseph projected his head from a round window of the barn.
1850. Mrs. Carlyle, New Lett. (1903), II. 13. You may fancy the vinegar looks of the Lady of the House and the visitors whom I had kept from their dinner one mortal hour.
6. Special Combs.: † vinegar beer, ? beer employed for conversion into vinegar; Vinegar Bible (see quots.); vinegar-eel, a minute nematoid worm (Anguillula aceti) breeding in vinegar; vinegar-feld, = vinegar-yard; vinegar mother, = vinegar-plant (b); vinegar-plant, (a) the Virginian sumach, Rhus typhina; (b) a mold that grows on the surface of liquids undergoing acetous fermentation; vinegar-railing fig., bitter abuse; vinegar-tree, = vinegar-plant (a); vinegar worm, = vinegar-eel; vinegar-yard, a yard or open space in which vinegar-casks are arranged.
1677. Act 29 Chas. II., c. 2. For every Barrell of Beere commonly called *Vineger beere brewed or made to be sold, Six pence.
1796. Pennant, Hist. Whiteford & Holywell, 85. The ridiculous mistake is in the running-title to the twentieth chapter of St. Luke; in which ‘Parable of the vineyard’ is printed ‘Parable of the vinegar;’ and on that account the edition is better known by the name of the *Vinegar Bible, than any other.
1834. Lowndes, Bibliogr. Man., I. 180/1. A most magnificent edition, called ‘The Vinegar Bible,’ from an error in the running title at St. Luke, chap. xxii. where it is read ‘the parable of the vinegar,’ instead of ‘the parable of the vineyard.’
1868. W. D. Macray, Annals Bodl. Lib., 147. Baskett, the printer, presented to the Library a magnificent copy on vellum of the ‘Vinegar’ Bible, printed by him in 1717.
1836–9. Todd’s Cycl. Anat., II. 113/2. The Anguillula aceti, or common *Vinegar-eel.
1842. Penny Mag., 29 Oct., 426/2. Behind the store-house … is the *vinegar-field, a remarkable feature in most vinegar-works.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 2. The Germans call it the *vinegar mother, as it serves to excite acetification in fresh liquors. Ibid. (1853), (ed. 4), I. 1. In the vinegar of wine … there appears a peculiar mould plant, belonging to the genus Mycoderma Pers.; which is usually called vinegar mother.
1797. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), XVI. 228/1. The … Virginian sumach, or *vinegar plant, grows naturally in almost every part of North America.
1857. Henfrey, Bot., § 637. Flocculent or gelatinous masses, constituting the curious object called the Vinegar-plant.
1866. Treas. Bot., 1217/1. The exact mode in which the Vinegar-plant operates on the solution is not known.
1609. Dekker, Gull’s Horn-bk., Wks. (Grosart), II. 203. Though, with Hanniball, you bring whole hogs-heads of *vinegar-railings, it is impossible for you to quench or come ouer my Alpine-resolution.
1874. Treas. Bot., Suppl. 1350/2. *Vinegar-tree, Rhus typhina.
1896. trans. Boas’ Text Bk. Zool., 163. Anguillula aceti, the *Vinegar worm, lives in sour paste and in vinegar.
1703. Lond. Gaz., No. 3893/4. A Distilling-house, Brew-house, and *Vinegar-yard.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Vinegar-yard, a place where vinegar is exposed to season.
