Vinegary
/ˈvɪn.ɪ.ɡər.i/noun
Having the sharp, sour taste or smell of vinegar; also figuratively, sharp-tempered or biting.
Did you know?“Vinegary” descends from the same root as “wine,” because vinegar was originally understood as literally “sour wine,” a transformation ancient people treated almost like alchemy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*woih₁nom
“wine”
Latin
Latin
vinum
“wine”
Late Latin
Latin
vināgĭnum
“vinegar-like, sour wine”
Old French
OF
vinaigre
“vinegar”
Middle English
English
vynegre / vinegre
“vinegar”
Modern English
English
vinegary
“having the sharp sourness of vinegar; figuratively, acerbic or sharp”