verjuice

American  

[vur-joos] / ˈvɜrˌdʒus /

noun

1. an acid liquor made from the sour juice of crab apples, unripe grapes, etc., formerly much used for culinary and other purposes.

2. sourness, as of temper or expression.

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adjective

1. of or relating to verjuice.

2. sour in temper, expression, etc.

verjuice British  

/ ˈvɜːˌdʒuːs /

noun

1. 1. the acid juice of unripe grapes, apples, or crab apples, formerly much used in making sauces, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      verjuice sauce

2. rare

   1. sourness or sharpness of temper, looks, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a verjuice old wife

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verb

1. rare (tr) to make sour; embitter

Etymology

Origin of verjuice

1275–1325; Middle English verjuis < Middle French vertjus, equivalent to vert green (< Latin viridis ) + jus juice

Example Sentences

I have used the hard-to-find verjuice instead of lemon, and once included a little honey in the recipe.

From The Guardian • Oct. 25, 2017

The proper way of cleaning elegant chimney pieces, or other articles made of alabaster, is to reduce some pumice stone to a very fine powder, and mix it up with verjuice.

From The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches, Adapted to the Use of Private Families by Eaton, Mary, fl. 1823-1849

How is it that at the commencement of springtime the verjuice of the vine is sharp?

From The Sufistic Quatrains of Omar Khayyam by Khayyam, Omar

Let your caudle be white-wine, verjuice, some sack and sugar; thicken it with the yolks of eggs, and when the pye is baked, pour it in, and serve it hot.

From Old Cookery Books and Ancient Cuisine by Hazlitt, William Carew

The taste of vinegar is acer, sour; that of verjuice acrior, more sour; the visage of a tee-totaller, acerrimus, sourest, or most sour.

From The Comic Latin Grammar A new and facetious introduction to the Latin tongue by Leech, John