Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

four thieves' vinegar

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.42 in modern English

Syllables
four thieves' vine-gar
IPA
31
Scrabble Score
18
Letters
2
Syllables
13
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Vinegar mixed with camphor and essential oils, formerly used as medicine.

British usage; Archaic; Uncountable

Etymology

From the story that thieves, by using it, were enabled to plunder, with impunity to health, in the great plague at London. Possibly originally a corruption of "Forthave's vinegar", Richard Forthave being the publisher of an early recipe.

Usage

Synonyms

four thieves' oil Marseilles vinegar prophylactic vinegar thieves' oil thieves' vinegar vinegar of the four thieves

Questions

What does four thieves' vinegar mean?
Vinegar mixed with camphor and essential oils, formerly used as medicine.
Where does four thieves' vinegar come from?
From the story that thieves, by using it, were enabled to plunder, with impunity to health, in the great plague at London. Possibly originally a corruption of "Forthave's vinegar", Richard Forthave being the publisher of an early recipe.

How to pronounce four thieves' vinegar

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