Acidulous
[ə-SIJ-ə-ləs]
Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Latin, late 17th century
1.
Sharp-tasting; sour.
2.
(Of a person's remarks or tone) Bitter; cutting.
Examples of Acidulous in a sentence
"Yesenia prefers smooth cold-brew coffee to an acidulous dark-roast drip coffee."
"Angelica paid her many parking tickets in full, after first making an acidulous remark to the city clerk."
About Acidulous
“Acidulous” is taken almost directly from the Latin “acidulous,” meaning “sourish.”
Did you Know?
When “acidulous” is used to describe a flavor, it describes a sharply sour taste, while in describing moods or words, the term implies bitterness. In flavor, the difference between sour and bitter is partly determined by acidity, the source of sourness, while bitterness is associated with earth and green leaves. If a dish seems to be falling flat, chefs often recommend adding an acid. In chemical terms, ingredients with a low pH of 0 to 7 are acids — vinegar and lemon have a pH of 2, wine and tomato are at 4, and buttermilk and coffee both have a pH of 4.5. Bitterness is found on the alkaline scale at a pH of 7 to 14.
