vitriol
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Meaning
cruel and bitter criticism or language.
(archaic) any of a class of sulfates of metals, such as ferrous sulfate (green vitriol) or copper sulfate (blue vitriol).
Usage
his speech was filled with enough vitriol to alienate even his supporters.
the political debate quickly descended into personal vitriol.
historically, alchemists used vitriol in various experiments.
Etymology
The word 'vitriol' entered English in the late 14th century from Old French 'vitriol', which itself derived from Medieval Latin 'vitriolum'. This Latin term is a diminutive form of 'vitrum', meaning 'glass'. The semantic connection lies in the appearance of certain sulfate crystals, which have a glassy luster. The modern, abstract meaning of 'bitter criticism' evolved in the early 20th century, metaphorically extending from the corrosive, burning properties of the chemical substance to describe similarly caustic speech.
Analysis
This word is a loanword from Latin via Old French. Its spelling and form have been preserved as a single unit in English, making segmentation into meaningful substrings from the current spelling (e.g., vitr+iol) linguistically unsound and unhelpful for understanding.