sb. Forms: 4–5 vitriole, 5 vit-, vytreole, 5–6 vytryol(e, 6–7 vitrioll (6 -olle), 5– vitriol; 5–7 vitriall, 6–7 vitrial, 7 vitraell. [a. OF. (also F.) vitriol (13th c.; Pg. vitriolo, It. vetriolo, -iuolo, vitriolo, -iuolo, .-ivuolo) or directly ad. med.L. vitriolum (Albertus Magnus) f. vitrum glass.]
1. One or other of various native or artificial sulphates of metals (see 2 and 3) used in the arts or medicinally, esp. sulphate of iron: a. Used in sing. without article.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Can. Yeom. Prol. & T., 255. Vnslekked lym, chalk,… Poudres diuerse, asshes,… Cered pottes, sal peter, vitriole.
14[?]. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 579. Draganti, vytryole, or coporose.
a. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc., 40. Puluerez of alume, zucarine brent, of attrament, and of vitriol.
1471. Ripley, Comp. Alch., Adm. iv. in Ashm. (1652), 190. Also I wrought in Sulphur and in Vitriall, Whych folys doe call the Grene Lyon.
1527. Andrew, Brunswyke’s Distyll. Waters, F j b. Halfe an ounce of vytryol wherof the ynke is made.
1599. A. M., trans. Gabelhouer’s Bk. Physicke, 317/1. Bloodstenchinge. Take of the best Vitriolle, beate it smalle, and boulte it through a fine cloth.
1612. Woodall, Surg. Mate, Wks. (1653), 210. Copperas or Vitriol … is a mineral salt which … doth farre excel many other kinds of salts.
1681. trans. Belon’s Myst. Physick, Introd. 38. Those Acides, and acrimonious Particles of the Salt and Vitriol which had caused its Sublimation.
1718. Quincy, Compl. Disp., 8. The last is what is forced from Vinegar, Vitriol, and such like acid Substances.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., The Antients give the Name Chalcitis, or Chalcite, to native Vitriol;… which is a kind of mineral Stone, of a reddish Colour.
1756–7. trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), III. 124. Besides sulphur, vitriol is also made here, of a sapphire colour.
1854. Ronalds & Richardson, Chem. Technol. (ed. 2), I. 359. The chloride of calcium melting easily in the still, enables the whole of the acetic acid to be evolved at a lower temperature than when vitriol is employed.
1879. McCarthy, Own Times, xviii. II. 26. The use of vitriol was recommended among other destructive agencies.
b. In pl. (or with a).
a. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc., 79. Of atramentez, i. of vitriolez, bene many kyndez.
1605. Timme, Quersit., I. ix. 37. Some of these salts are bytter as wormewood, some sharpe as vitriolls.
1656. J. Smith, Pract. Physick, 6. They that drink of them purge forth black excrements by reason of the vitrials.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., According to Boerhaave, Vitriols consist of a metallic Part with a Sulphur adhering, a menstruous Acid, and Water.
1799. Kirwan, Geol. Ess., 395. Vitriols have been discovered buried in the ancient sandy bed of that sea.
1868. Watts, Dict. Chem., V. 1004. The several vitriols being distinguished by their colours, or by the metals which they contain.
2. With distinguishing epithets: a. With adjs. of color. Blue, green, red, white vitriol, sulphate of copper, iron, cobalt, and zinc, respectively.
c. 1400. trans. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 14. Grene vitriol, & he be do to a man of a drie complexioun, engendrith fleisch.
[a. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc., 79. Þer is a spice of vitriol þat is called vitriolum romanum, i. coporose; And it is of ȝalow colour in reward of þe grenner vitriol. And þer is one of white colour bot noȝt schynyng.]
1611. Cotgr., Marcassin iaulne, Red vitrioll.
1676. Phil. Trans., XI. 617. A salt that had some resemblance to white Vitriol.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., In Blue Vitriol, the Metal, wherewith the Acid, etc. is join’d, is Copper.
1751. Gibson, Diseases Horses, III. iii. 193. In some cases it [sc. the horse’s eye] may be touched with the blue Vitriol stone, or the Lunar caustic.
1758. Reid, trans. Macquer’s Chym., I. 66. Green Vitriol hath a saltish and astringent taste.
1819. Brande, Chem., 247. Copper and Sulphuric Acid— Oxysulphate of Copper—Blue Vitriol.
1837. Dana, Min., 180. Cobalt Vitriol … Red Vitriol. Sulphate of Cobalt.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, s.v., White vitriol is a combination of sulphuric-acid and oxide of zinc.
1887. Buck’s Handbk. Med. Sci., IV. 224/2. Ferrous sulphate is the salt so well known as green vitriol, and also in the impure state as copperas.
b. With other adjs., as English, German, Hungarian, Roman vitriol.
1573. Art of Limming, 7. Then put in it two unces of greene Coporas, or els of Romayne Vitrial, which is beste.
1611. Cotgr., Vitriol d’Allemagne, German Vitrioll. Ibid., Vitriol d’Hongrie, Hungarie Vitrioll.
1617. Moryson, Itin., III. 134. The English bring into France … Leade, Tynne, English Vitriall, or Shoemakers blacke.
1651. French, Distill., iii. 66. Take of Hungarian, or the best English Vitriall.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., Roman Vitriol is made by exposing these Pyrites to the Air, till such time as they calcine.
1741. Compl. Fam.-Piece, I. i. 46. Take Hungarian Vitriol, Allum, of each half a Pound, Phlegm of Vitriol 10 Pounds.
1837. Penny Cycl., VII. 505/1. Sulphuric acid and copper form sulphate of copper, blue vitriol, or Roman vitriol, or blue copperas.
3. With term indicating the base, as vitriol of cobalt, copper, iron, lead, silver, etc.
1695. W. W., New Lt. Chirurg. Put out, 61. The Pouder consists of a Vitriol of Copper.
1699. Salmon, Bate’s Dispens. (1715), 453/1. Of this opened Sol, to make Vitriol of Gold.
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., I. Vitriol of Copper or Venus, is Blue Chrystals made by a Solution of Copper in Spirit of Nitre, Evaporation, and Chrystallization in a cool place. Ibid., Vitriol of Silver, or of the Moon.
1753. Chambers’ Cycl., Suppl., s.v., Of this kind are the Vitriols of gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin. Ibid., Vitriol of Quicksilver, the name of a chemical preparation of quicksilver, with acid spirits. Ibid., Another method of making the Vitriol of mercury.
1791. Phil. Trans., LXXXI. 381. Fused … on a plate of platina, with the vitriols of tartar and soda, it appeared entirely to resist their action.
1796. Kirwan, Elem. Min. (ed. 2), II. 90. If they are considered … as Vitriols of Cobalt and Nickel, they are ranged among Ores.
1800. Med. Jrnl., IV. 288. The patient bore large doses of the vitriols of copper and of zinc.
† b. Vitriol of Mars, Moon, Venus, etc. (see quots. and 1704 in prec.). Obs.
1678. Salmon, Pharm. Lond., 836/2. Filings of Steel are digested in Spirit of Vitriol, to make Vitriol of Mars.
1696. Phillips (ed. 5), Vitriol of Mars, Iron and Spirit of Vitriol mix’d and distill’d together.
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., I. Vitriol of Mars, or Salt of Steel, is made by dissolving Steel in some proper Acid Menstruum then Evaporating and Chrystallizing to gain the Salt as above in Copper.
1758. Reid, trans. Macquer’s Chym., I. 66. These crystals are called Green Vitriol, and Vitriol of Mars.
4. a. Oil of vitriol, concentrated sulphuric acid.
1580. Frampton, trans. Monardes’ Med. agst. Venome, 117 b. In our time there hath been compounded and drawen out an Oyle, which they call Oyle of Vitrioll or Coporace.
1611. Cotgr., Huile de vie, Oyle of Vitrioll.
1660. Boyle, New Exp. Phys. Mech., xxii. 176. This we fill’d with Oyl of Vitriol and fair water.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., Oil of Vitriol, which comes out after the Spirit, by heightning the Fire wherewith that had been rais’d.
1779. Phil. Trans., LXX. 31. Add, by a little at a time, as much vitriolic acid, commonly sold by the name of oil of vitriol, as will re-dissolve the whole.
1827. Faraday, Chem. Manip., xv. (1842), 391. Pouring in so much concentrated oil of vitriol as shall moisten the fragments.
1878. Huxley, Physiogr., 102. Water made slightly sour by addition of a little oil of vitriol.
b. Spirit(s) of vitriol, a distilled essence of vitriol.
1671. R. Bohun, Wind, 175. Such as Oyl of Tartar and spirit of Vitriol.
1674. Phil. Trans., IX. 44. As for the Acid Saline Principle, I suppose no person who hath tasted the Spirit of Vitriol,… will question its abounding in that subject.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Salt, Spirit of Nitre,… Spirit of Salt,… and Spirit of Vitriol.
1771. Encycl. Brit., II. 72/1. If the vitriolic acid contain much water, it is then called spirit of vitriol.
1789. W. Buchan, Dom. Med. (1790), 223. This may be sharpened with the spirits of vitriol.
1859. Mayne, Expos. Lex., 1336. Vitriol, Sweet Spirit of,… a term for … sulphuric ether.
fig. 1679. Alsop, Melius Inq., II. i. 174. The Medicine is the same; only Rome has added a few drops of the Spirits of Vitriol.
† c. Colcothar, earth, salt, of vitriol: see quots.
Also elixir of vitriol: see ELIXIR sb. 4.
1684. trans. Bonet’s Merc. Compit., I. 21. Comatous children are … cured by Vomitive Salt of Vitriol.
1699. Salmon, Bate’s Dispens. (1715), 453/2. Terra Vitrioli dulcis, sweet Earth of Vitriol.
1753. Chambers’ Cycl., Suppl., s.v. Sulphur, Colcothar, or fixed salt of vitriol.
1755. Dict. Arts & Sci., s.v., A fine purple matter, called colcothar of vitriol.
1799. G. Smith, Laboratory, I. 95. Take red calcined vitriol, or colcothar of vitriol.
5. fig. (In allusion to the corrosive properties of vitriol.) Virulence or acrimony of feeling or utterance.
1769. Junius Lett., xv. (1788), 90. Flat and insipid in your retired state, but brought into action you become vitriol again.
1872. Spurgeon, Treas. David, Ps. lv. 3. They … cast the vitriol of their calumny over me.
1895. Literary World (Boston), 8 Nov., 359/1. This introduction, with its mixture of genius, shrewdness, and vitriol, is a piece of prose not to be missed.
6. attrib. and Comb., as vitriol bath, chamber, -maker, marcasite, peddler, -thrower, -throwing, water; vitriol ochre, a former name of glockerite; † vitriol stone, a native vitriol or sulphate.
1669. Boyle, Cert. Physiol. Ess., etc. (ed. 2), Absol. Rest Bodies, 14–5. A bulky, Marchasite that I procur’d from a Virtuoso that lives just by a Vitriol-work, whither these among other Vitriol-Stones are brought.
1670. [see VITRIOLIC a. 1].
1675. E. W[ilson], Spadacr. Dunelm., 43. Two vitriol waters in the Copper Mine of Herongrundt.
1676. Wiseman, Surg. Treat., V. ix. 378. If in the incarning the Wound the Flesh grows luxurious, touch it with a Vitriol-stone, and it will … dispose it to cicatrize.
1755. Dict. Arts & Sci., s.v., The old iron, picked up by the poor people about our streets, is sold to the vitriol or copperas makers.
1843. Thackeray, Irish Sk.-bk., viii. We had a talk about the vitriol-throwers at Cork, and the sentence just passed upon them.
1849. Ht. Martineau, Hist. Peace, V. v. (1877), III. 263. They mourned over the murders, and vitriol-throwing of the operatives, who were enslaved by mercenary delegates.
1867. Bloxam, Chem., 203. Reactions in the Vitriol Chambers.
1867. Augusta Wilson, Vashti, iv. Compassion is about as welcome to my feelings as a vitriol bath to fresh wounds.
1877. Topeka Daily Blade, 14 April, 2/1. Two daily papers … are now hard at work trying to canonize as a saint a Topeka vitriol peddler.
Hence Vitriol v. trans., to injure (a person) by means of vitriol; to expose (a thing) to the effects of vitriol.
1881. Harrisburg Telegraph, 17 March, 1/2. Mr. Ruddiman took the floor and paid a very neat tribute to the reporters in general, but turning the subject to Palmer he promptly vitrioled that individual.
1897. Westm. Gaz., 16 Dec., 5/2. I do not want to be killed, and I have a particular objection to being vitrioled.
