Vinaigrier

Un vinaigrier désigne principalement un récipient destiné au vinaigre, utilisé à table ou pour sa conservation.

Vinaigrier is a French noun that primarily denotes a container for vinegar, used at the table or for storage. The term also historically refers to a person who makes or sells vinegar, and older dictionaries record additional specialized meanings.

Meanings

Vinaigrier has at least two main senses: a vessel for vinegar and a person who produces or sells vinegar. Older sources also preserve narrower or specialized meanings that are no longer common in everyday French.

Household and culinary use

As a household item, a vinaigrier is a small container or cruet for serving vinegar at the table. Lexicographic and culinary sources describe it as a vessel for table service, sometimes with a stopper or lid, and in some traditions as part of vinegar-making equipment.

Historical and lexical usage

The term appears in older dictionaries such as Littré, the Académie française, and later lexicographic databases. These sources show that the word has shifted in frequency and meaning over time, with the utensil sense becoming less common in some periods.

Specialized senses

Some dictionaries record additional uses of vinaigrier in botany and entomology. These meanings are specialized and are not the primary everyday sense of the word.