Search the Dictionary

The quality or state of being sour.

Sourness and harshness. [Obs.] Bailey.

Sourness of taste, with bitterness and astringency, like that of unripe fruit.

The quality of being acescent; the process of acetous fermentation; a moderate degree of sourness. Johnson.

The quality of being acetous; sourness.

The quality of being sour; sourness; tartness; sharpness to the taste; as, the acidity of lemon juice.

Acidity; sourness.

Roughness to the taste; sourness; tartness.

Harshness or astringent sourness to the taste; acerbity. Johnson.

Sourness and harshness to the taste. [Obs.] Horsley.

Characterized by or manifesting, sourness, peevishness, or moroseness; harsh; cross; cynical; -- applied to feelings, disposition, or manners. Crabbed age and youth can not live together. Shak.

Tartness; sourness. [Obs.]

Sourness of temper; sulenness. Learn good humor, never to oppose without just reason; abate some degrees of pride and moroseness. I. Watts.

The quality of being peevish; disposition to murmur; sourness of temper.

In a sour manner; with sourness.

Sourness or severity of countenance; sterness. [Obs.]

Tartness; sourness, as of disposition.

), the stag-horn sumac (Rhus typhina), whose acid berries have been used to intensify the sourness of vinegar. -- Wood vinegar. See under Wood.