sour

sour
adj., n., & v.
—adj.
1 having an acid taste like lemon or vinegar, esp. because of unripeness (sour apples).
2 a (of food, esp. milk or bread) bad because of fermentation. b smelling or tasting rancid or unpleasant.
3 (of a person, temper, etc.) harsh; morose; bitter.
4 (of a thing) unpleasant; distasteful.
5 (of the soil) deficient in lime and usually dank.
—n.
1 US a drink with lemon- or lime-juice (whisky sour).
2 an acid solution used in bleaching etc.
—v.tr. & intr. make or become sour (soured the cream; soured by misfortune).
Phrases and idioms:
go (or turn) sour
1 (of food etc.) become sour.
2 turn out badly (the job went sour on him).
3 lose one's keenness. sour cream cream deliberately fermented by adding bacteria. sour grapes resentful disparagement of something one cannot personally acquire. sour mash US a brewing- or distilling-mash made acid to promote fermentation.
Derivatives:
sourish adj. sourly adv. sourness n.
Etymology: OE sur f. Gmc

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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  • sour´ly — sour «sowr», adjective, verb, noun, adverb. –adj. 1. having a taste like that of vinegar or lemon juice; sharp and biting: »Most green fruit is sour. SYNONYM(S): acid, acidulous, tart. 2. fermented; acid as a result of fermentation; spoiled. Sour …   Useful english dictionary

  • Sour — Sour, a. [Compar. {Sourer}; superl. {Sourest}.] [OE. sour, sur, AS. s?r; akin to D. zuur, G. sauer, OHG. s?r, Icel. s?rr, Sw. sur, Dan. suur, Lith. suras salt, Russ. surovui harsh, rough. Cf. {Sorrel}, the plant.] 1. Having an acid or sharp,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sour — [sour] adj. [ME soure < OE sur, akin to Ger sauer, ON sūrr < IE * suro , sour, salty > Latvian sũrs, salty, bitter] 1. having the sharp, acid taste of lemon juice, vinegar, green fruit, etc. 2. made acid or rank by or as by fermentation… …   English World dictionary

  • Sour — Sour, v. t. [AS. s?rian to sour, to become sour.] 1. To cause to become sour; to cause to turn from sweet to sour; as, exposure to the air sours many substances. [1913 Webster] So the sun s heat, with different powers, Ripens the grape, the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sour — sour, acid, acidulous, tart, dry mean having a taste devoid of sweetness. All but dry suggest the taste of lemons, vinegar, or of most unripe fruits. Sour and acid are often interchangeable, but sour is more likely to be chosen to describe… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • sour — sour; sour·berry; sour·dine; sour·i·quois; sour·ish; sour·ly; sour·ness; sour·sob; vav·a·sour; …   English syllables

  • sour — Ⅰ. sour UK US /saʊər/ verb [I or T] ► to become, or cause to become, less pleasant, friendly, or successful: »Meeting clients unexpectedly can sour a relationship. »Loans are souring, as bankruptcies and the bad debts they leave behind keep… …   Financial and business terms

  • sour on — informal : having a bad opinion of (something) She was sour on politics in general. • • • Main Entry: ↑sour sour on [phrasal verb] sour on (something) or sour (someone) on (something …   Useful english dictionary

  • Sour — 〈[saʊər] m.; od. s, 〉 alkohol. Mixgetränk mit Zitronen od. Limonensaft ● Whisky Sour [<engl. sour „sauer“] * * * Sour   [sur], Stadt in Südlibanon, Sur. * * * Sour [ zauɐ, engl. saʊə], der; [s], s [engl. sour, eigtl. = sauer]: stark… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • sour — ► ADJECTIVE 1) having a sharp taste like lemon or vinegar. 2) tasting or smelling rancid from fermentation or staleness. 3) resentful, bitter, or angry. ► NOUN ▪ a cocktail made by mixing a spirit with lemon or lime juice. ► VERB ▪ make or become …   English terms dictionary

  • sour — (adj.) O.E. sur, from P.Gmc. *suraz (Cf. O.N. surr, M.Du. suur, Du. zuur, O.H.G. sur, Ger. Sauer), from PIE root *suro sour, salty, bitter (Cf. O.C.S. syru, Rus. syroi moist, raw; Lith. suras salty …   Etymology dictionary

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