Etymo

vinegar

A fermented liquid used to season or preserve food.

Played on · Day 25 · word 1 of 5

A description from the kitchen

How vinegar reached English

oldest first
  • vin‘wine’
  • egre‘sour’

combined

  1. Anglo-French

    vin egre

    ‘Sour wine’

  2. Middle English

    vinegre

    ‘Vinegar’

  3. English

    vinegar

    ‘A fermented condiment’

The story of vinegar

Vinegar still carries a description of sour wine.

Anglo-French vin egre describes sour wine. Middle English vinegre joined those pieces into a word that became vinegar. The name preserves one way of making the condiment, although vinegar can come from other fermented liquids too.

Source

Merriam-Webster: vinegar

Word History gives the components and route; Kids Etymology connects egre with eager.

Related

The egre component shares its history with eager, a connection between sharp flavour and spirited behaviour.

More words from 30 September 2026

  1. orangeA citrus fruit; also the name of a colour.
  2. belfryA tower or chamber that houses bells.
  3. husbandA male partner in a marriage.
  4. ointmentA salve applied to the skin.

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