vinegar eel

3 definitions found

vinegar eel - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Vinegar \Vin"e*gar\, n. [OE. vinegre, F. vinaigre; vin wine (L.
     vinum) + aigre sour. See Wine, and Eager, a.]
     1. A sour liquid used as a condiment, or as a preservative,
        and obtained by the spontaneous (acetous) fermentation, or
        by the artificial oxidation, of wine, cider, beer, or the
        like.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The characteristic sourness of vinegar is due to acetic
           acid, of which it contains from three to five per cent.
           Wine vinegar contains also tartaric acid, citric acid,
           etc.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Hence, anything sour; -- used also metaphorically.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Here's the challenge: . . . I warrant there's
              vinegar and pepper in't.              --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Aromatic vinegar, strong acetic acid highly flavored with
        aromatic substances.
  
     Mother of vinegar. See 4th Mother.
  
     Radical vinegar, acetic acid.
  
     Thieves' vinegar. See under Thief.
  
     Vinegar eel (Zool.), a minute nematode worm (Leptodera  oxophila
        , or Anguillula acetiglutinis), commonly found
        in great numbers in vinegar, sour paste, and other
        fermenting vegetable substances; -- called also vinegar  worm
        .
  
     Vinegar lamp (Chem.), a fanciful name of an apparatus
        designed to oxidize alcohol to acetic acid by means of
        platinum.
  
     Vinegar plant. See 4th Mother.
  
     Vinegar tree (Bot.), the stag-horn sumac (Rhus typhina),
        whose acid berries have been used to intensify the
        sourness of vinegar.
  
     Wood vinegar. See under Wood.
        [1913 Webster]

  Eel \Eel\, n. [AS. ?l; akin to D., G., & Dan. aal, Icel. [=a]ll,
     Sw. [*a]l.] (Zo["o]l.)
     An elongated fish of many genera and species. The common eels
     of Europe and America belong to the genus Anguilla. The
     electrical eel is a species of Gymnotus. The so called
     vinegar eel is a minute nematode worm. See Conger eel,
     Electric eel, and Gymnotus.
     [1913 Webster]

vinegar eel - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  vinegar eel
      n 1: minute eelworm that feeds on organisms that cause
           fermentation in e.g. vinegar [syn: vinegar eel, vinegar worm
           , Anguillula aceti, Turbatrix aceti]