verjuice

English

Etymology

From Middle English verjous, vergeous, from Old French vertjus, verjus (French verjus), from vert + jus. First appears c. 1302.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈvɝd͡ʒuːs/, /ˈvɝd͡ʒəs/

Noun

verjuice (usually uncountable, plural verjuices)

  1. A very acidic juice made by pressing unripe grapes.
    • 1631, Francis [Bacon], “I. Century.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. [], 3rd edition, London: [] William Rawley; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee [], paragraph 79, page 25, →OCLC:
      In this inſtance, there is (vpon the by) to be noted the Percolation, or Suing of the Veriuyce thorow the VVood; So as it ſeemeth, it muſt be firſt in a kinde of Vapour, before it paſſe.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

verjuice (third-person singular simple present verjuices, present participle verjuicing, simple past and past participle verjuiced)

  1. (transitive) To render something sour; to embitter.
    • 1892, W[illiam] G[eorge] Thorpe, “Early Life and School Days”, in The Still Life of the Middle Temple with Some of Its Table Talk Preceded by Fifty Years’ Reminiscences, London: Richard Bentley and Son [], page 3:
      There are few names to which a jingle or a joke cannot be fitted—witness, Twining, banker and tea-dealer: / ‘Twining would be whining / Were’t not for his tea;/ and the ex-Lord Mayor, Sir John Key, where the inherent rhyme to ‘donkey’ verjuiced the baronetcy.
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