verjuice

noun

ver·​juice ˈvər-ˌjüs 

1

: the sour juice of crab apples or of unripe fruit (such as grapes or apples)

also : an acid liquor made from verjuice

2

: acidity of disposition or manner

Did you know?

These days, verjuice is typically a tart, pale juice pressed from unripe white grapes, ideal for use in sauces and salad dressings. Verjuice has been around for centuries and is used in Dijon mustard, but the word (a descendant of Anglo-French vert, meaning "green," and jous, meaning "juice") has become somewhat uncommon - especially in American English - since its heyday in the early 19th century. (It's a bit more common in Australia.) In the past "verjuice" was also used with the meaning "acidity of disposition or manner" - a meaning hinted at in our first quote - but that sense is now only rarely encountered.

Examples of verjuice in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While previous versions relied on vinegar for mustard’s signature tang, Dijon’s visionaries swapped in verjuice, the highly acidic juice of pressed unripe grapes, which made for a smoother and more refined expression. —Grey Poupon, Bon Appetit, 31 Oct. 2017

Later, when lemons, and then tomatoes, became available to add acidity to food, verjuice was rather knocked off the radar. —Yotam Ottolenghi, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vergeouse, borrowed from Anglo-French vertjous, from vert "green" + jous, jus juice entry 1 — more at verdant

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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