- Mother of vinegar
- Vinegar Vin"e*gar, n. [OE. vinegre, F. vinaigre; vin wine (L.
vinum) + aigre sour. See {Wine}, and {Eager}, a.]
1. A sour liquid used as a condiment, or as a preservative,
and obtained by the spontaneous (acetous) fermentation, or
by the artificial oxidation, of wine, cider, beer, or the
like.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The characteristic sourness of vinegar is due to acetic acid, of which it contains from three to five per cent. Wine vinegar contains also tartaric acid, citric acid, etc. [1913 Webster]
2. Hence, anything sour; -- used also metaphorically. [1913 Webster]
Here's the challenge: . . . I warrant there's vinegar and pepper in't. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
{Aromatic vinegar}, strong acetic acid highly flavored with aromatic substances.
{Mother of vinegar}. See 4th {Mother}.
{Radical vinegar}, acetic acid.
{Thieves' vinegar}. See under {Thief}.
{Vinegar eel} (Zo["o]l.), a minute nematode worm ({Leptodera oxophila}, or {Anguillula acetiglutinis}), commonly found in great numbers in vinegar, sour paste, and other fermenting vegetable substances; -- called also {vinegar worm}.
{Vinegar lamp} (Chem.), a fanciful name of an apparatus designed to oxidize alcohol to acetic acid by means of platinum.
{Vinegar plant}. See 4th {Mother}.
{Vinegar tree} (Bot.), the stag-horn sumac ({Rhus typhina}), whose acid berries have been used to intensify the sourness of vinegar.
{Wood vinegar}. See under {Wood}. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
