Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Slightly sour in taste or in manner.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Slightly sour; subacid, as cream of tartar, oranges, gooseberries, etc.
  • Figuratively, sour in feeling or expression; sharp; caustic; harsh.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Slightly sour; sub-acid; sourish.
  • adjective such as contain carbonic anhydride.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Slightly sour; sub-acid; sourish; as an acidulous tincture - Edmund Burke

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective being sour to the taste

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Latin acidulus, diminutive of acidus, sour; see acid.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin acidulus ("sourish, acidulous"), diminutive of acidus ("acid, sour"). See acid.

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Examples

  • He wanted to cancel the project — unless I was willing to expand my introduction, incorporating some of the acidulous commentary into a calmer treatment of the matter.

    Daredevil 2009

  • Gillian Keith fizzed skittishly and effortlessly as Zerbinetta, an acidulous sop to Orla Boylan's munificent, creamy but variably toned Ariadne.

    The Turn of the Screw; Ariadne auf Naxos; Les pêcheurs de perles; Mitsuko Uchida Fiona Maddocks 2010

  • Every member of the cast shines at varying intensities: Ms. McAdams as a young almost-married who's lively and attractive, albeit a scold; Kurt Fuller as Inez's acidulous father; Mimi Kennedy as her dryly sarcastic mother; and, in lesser roles, Nina Arianda, Tom Hiddleston, Daniel Lundh and Michel Vuillermoz.

    We'll Always Have Allen's 'Paris' Joe Morgenstern 2011

  • He wanted to cancel the project — unless I was willing to expand my introduction, incorporating some of the acidulous commentary into a calmer treatment of the matter.

    Daredevil 2009

  • Over the Dolphins stadium's public address system, Bailar asked God, "Father and Mother of us all," to protect his "gentle dophins" from the "voracious beasts of prey" and to "limit ... the obfuscations of sportscaster Howard Cosell acidulous tongue, so that he may describe this night truly and grammatically as it is..."

    Shirl James Hoffman, Ed.D.: Joe Nelms' Prayer Perfect For NASCAR Event Ed.D. Shirl James Hoffman 2011

  • His observations range from the cheerful to the acidulous but are never malicious.

    The Disappearing Maestro Norman Lebrecht 2011

  • Over the Dolphins stadium's public address system, Bailar asked God, "Father and Mother of us all," to protect his "gentle dophins" from the "voracious beasts of prey" and to "limit ... the obfuscations of sportscaster Howard Cosell acidulous tongue, so that he may describe this night truly and grammatically as it is..."

    Shirl James Hoffman, Ed.D.: Joe Nelms' Prayer Perfect For NASCAR Event Ed.D. Shirl James Hoffman 2011

  • In a Robert Altman film that's almost bursting with superb performances, Maggie Smith shines as the Countess of Trentham, a mistress of acidulous put-downs.

    'Last Dancer': Ultimately on Point 2010

  • Int he end, he was too acidulous, too independent to get the top job.

    Jacob Heilbrunn: The Greatness of Richard Holbrooke Jacob Heilbrunn 2010

  • Int he end, he was too acidulous, too independent to get the top job.

    Jacob Heilbrunn: The Greatness of Richard Holbrooke Jacob Heilbrunn 2010

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