Definitions

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

  • adjective Having a taste characteristic of that produced by acids; sharp, tart, or tangy.
  • adjective Made acid or rancid by fermentation.
  • adjective Having the characteristics of fermentation or rancidity; tasting or smelling of decay.
  • adjective Bad-tempered and morose; peevish.
  • adjective Displeased with something one formerly admired or liked; disenchanted.
  • adjective Not measuring up to the expected or usual ability or quality; bad.
  • adjective Not having the correct or properly produced pitch.
  • adjective Of or relating to excessively acid soil that is damaging to crops.
  • adjective Containing excessive levels of sulfur compounds, carbon dioxide, or both. Used of oil and natural gas.
  • adjective Containing excessive levels of peroxides. Used of gasoline.
  • noun The sensation of sour taste, one of the four primary tastes.
  • noun Something sour.
  • noun A mixed drink made especially with whiskey, lemon or lime juice, sugar, and sometimes soda water.
  • transitive & intransitive verb To make or become sour.
  • transitive & intransitive verb To make or become disagreeable, disillusioned, or disenchanted.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Sourly; bitterly.
  • noun In drenching or puering skins, the old liquor which has become sour or turned.
  • Having an acid taste; sharp to the taste; tart; acid; specifically, acid in consequence of fermentation; fermented, and thus spoiled: as, sour bread; sour milk.
  • Harsh of temper; crabbed; peevish; austere; morose: as, a man of a sour temper.
  • Afflictive; hard to bear; bitter; disagreeable to the feelings; distasteful in any manner.
  • Expressing discontent, displeasure, or peevishness: as, a sour word.
  • Cold; wet; harsh; unkindly to crops: said of soil.
  • Coarse: said of grass.
  • Synonyms Acetous, acetose.
  • 2 and
  • Cross, testy, waspish, snarling, cynical.
  • noun Something sour or acid; something bitter or disagreeable.
  • noun Dirt; filth.
  • noun An acid punch.
  • noun In bleaching and dyeing:
  • noun A bath of buttermilk or sour milk, or of soured bran or rye-flour, used by primitive bleachers.
  • noun A weak solution of sulphuric or hydrochloric acid, used for various purposes. Compare souring, 5.
  • To become sour; become acid; acquire the quality of tartness or pungency to the taste, as by fermentation: as, cider sours rapidly in the rays of the sun.
  • To become peevish, crabbed, or harsh in temper.
  • To become harsh, wet, cold, or unkindly to crops: said of soil.
  • To make sour; make acid; cause to have a sharp taste, especially by fermentation.
  • To make harsh, crabbed, morose, or bitter in temper; make cross or discontented; embitter; prejudice.
  • To make harsh, wet, cold, or unkindly to crops: said of soil.
  • In bleaching, etc., to treat with a dilute acid.
  • To macerate and render fit for plaster or mortar, as lime.

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

  • intransitive verb To become sour; to turn from sweet to sour
  • adjective Having an acid or sharp, biting taste, like vinegar, and the juices of most unripe fruits; acid; tart.
  • adjective Changed, as by keeping, so as to be acid, rancid, or musty, turned.
  • adjective Disagreeable; unpleasant; hence; cross; crabbed; peevish; morose
  • adjective Afflictive; painful.
  • adjective Cold and unproductive
  • adjective (Bot.) sorrel.

Etymologies

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

[Middle English, from Old English sūr.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English sour, from Old English sūr ("sour"), from Proto-Germanic *sūraz (“sour”), from Proto-Indo-European *sūr- (“sour (milk)”). Cognate with West Frisian soer, Dutch zuur ("sour"), Low German suur, German sauer ("sour"), Danish and Swedish sur ("sour"), Icelandic súr ("sour, bitter").

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Examples

  • She tried to shake him off, but his fingers tightened and she sat still, her expression sour as he began to pour healing energy into her.

    Crimson Wind Diana Pharaoh Francis 2011

  • “Uh-huh,” Kaitlynn replied, her expression sour as she looked Ariana up and down.

    Sweet Deceit Kate Brian 2010

  • “Uh-huh,” Kaitlynn replied, her expression sour as she looked Ariana up and down.

    Sweet Deceit Kate Brian 2010

  • Ex surveyed the circle of dirt, his expression sour.

    Vicious Grace M.L.N. Hanover 2010

  • Ex surveyed the circle of dirt, his expression sour.

    Vicious Grace M.L.N. Hanover 2010

  • Amanda went to stand opposite Berry on the other side of the bed, her expression sour.

    Tough Customer Sandra Brown 2010

  • Ex surveyed the circle of dirt, his expression sour.

    Vicious Grace M.L.N. Hanover 2010

  • Anonymous -- sorry if I struck a nerve, but in my experience Chinese American restaurant (I emphasize restaurant) sweet and sour is pretty heavy.

    So You Think You've Had Sweet And Sour?: Thai Sweet And Sour With Pork Laura 2009

  • Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogenous and thick.

    Archive 2009-02-01 Laura 2009

  • Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogenous and thick.

    Mint Chocolate Cupcakes For John Laura 2009

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