vitriol · noun — any of various metal sulphates. It carries an Arena rating of 1822, earned across 23 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, vitriol ranks #341 of 17,152 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #697 of 17,147 for Scariest Words, #1,130 of 17,145 for Most Malleable Words, #1,230 of 17,153 for Most Ingenious Words.
vitriol is pronounced /ˈvɪtɹiəl/.
Why “vitriol” is a great word
Vitriol is a corrosive substance, classically sulfuric acid or a metallic sulfate, extended to describe language of scalding bitterness and abuse. From Middle English vitriol, from Old French vitriol, from Medieval Latin vitriolum ("sulfuric acid"), from Latin vitrum ("glass"), due to the glassy appearance of the sulfate crystals. Unlike "invective," which targets with harsh denunciation, or "sarcasm," which cuts with ironic mockery, vitriol suggests a sustained, venomous corrosion that burns as it destroys. It is the hiss of acid on marble, the blue-green bloom of copper sulfate eating away at metal, the twisted face of a whisper meant not just to wound but to scar—the alchemy by which human grievance transforms into a chemical weapon for the soul.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From Middle English vitriol, from Old French vitriol, from Medieval Latin vitriolum (“sulfuric acid”), from vitrum (“glass”).
noun
- Any of various metal sulphates.
- oil of vitriol (sulfuric acid).
- Bitterly abusive language.e.g.“For days, online forums sparked with outrage against politicians and race organizers, a tone that turned to vitriol against runners, even from some shaming other runners for being selfish.” — 2012 November 2, Ken Belson, New York Times, retrieved 02 Nov 2012:
verb
- To subject to bitter verbal abuse.
- To dip in dilute sulfuric acid; to pickle.
- To vitriolize.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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