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acetous

acetous

9.9
A sour taste or smell like vinegar
  • adjective
  • /əˈsiːtəs/
translation icon : ácido
  • The dressing had an acetous flavor that complemented the salad.

Examples

  • The salad had an acetous flavor that reminded me of pickled vegetables.

  • The sauce became acetous after sitting out for several days.

  • An acetous aroma wafted from the open bottle of wine.

  • I found the wine to be surprisingly acetous for a red.

  • The salad had an acetous flavor that reminded me of pickled vegetables.

  • The sauce became acetous after sitting out for several days.

  • I found the wine to be surprisingly acetous for a red.

Synonyms

sour
vsacetous
61 1.0

Having a sharp taste like lemon or vinegar

is the subset of that sharp taste which smells or tastes like vinegar
vinegary
vsacetous
1 5.9

Having a sharp, sour taste or smell

is focused on the vinegar-specific smell and taste rather than broad sourness
acetic
vsacetous
  • Specialized
1 7.7

Having a sour, vinegar-like smell or taste

is the plain sensory vinegar-like taste or smell rather than a chemical term
vinegarish
vsacetous
8.6

A taste or smell that is sharp and sour like vinegar

is a general sour quality resembling vinegar
acetose
vsacetous
  • Archaic
9.9

Having a sharp taste or smell like vinegar

is the sensory vinegar-like sour quality rather than chemical naming
sour-tasting
vsacetous
1.0

Tasting sharp and like lemon or vinegar

is specifically the vinegar-like instance of such sharp flavours
acidulous
vsacetous
9.6

Slightly sour in taste or tone

is a stronger, clearly vinegar-like sourness rather than a mild tartness
acidulent
vsacetous
9.9

A little sour in taste like a lemon

is more pointedly vinegar-like rather than merely faintly sour
acerbic
vsacetous
7.9

A sharp sour taste like lemon or grapefruit

is about vinegar-like sourness rather than general harsh bitterness
acerb
vsacetous
9.9

Having a sour or bitter taste that feels sharp

is the narrower vinegar-like sour quality rather than broad bitterness

Antonyms

611 1.0

Having a taste like sugar, as in candy

How Sour

vinegary
1 5.9
acetous
9.9
sour
61 1.0
acidic
4 3.5
tangy
15 3.6

Surface Forms

acetous positive

Morphology

acetous = acetic (opaque) = acet + ous

Formed by regular suffixation from the technical base 'acetic'/'acet-', but the base is specialized vocabulary rather than a common everyday word.

Etymology

Acetous comes from the old Latin word acetum, meaning 'vinegar', and is the same root as acetic and acid. So something acetous tastes or smells 'sour' like vinegar.