Balsamic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌbɔːlˈsæmɪk/

Definitions

1. Relating to a dark syrupy liquid often used in cooking and dressing or, in a broader sense, implying a restorative quality or a fragrance
2. Pertaining to vinegar derived from grapes that is aged and concentrated, often noted for its flavor and aroma
3. Connected to an aromatic substance that has soothing or healing properties, from a culinary and medicinal perspective

Etymology: Balsamic is built from "balsam," the fragrant resin of certain trees and shrubs, plus the adjective-forming suffix "-ic." Balsam itself traces back through Latin "balsamum" to Greek "balsamon," and the word has long been used for healing ointments as well as perfumes, which is why its adjective once suggested soothing qualities rather than sourness. The vinegar sense arrived through French, which supplied "balsamique," and the English adjective took on its modern meaning of aged, concentrated grape vinegar. That gives the word an odd pairing: a term for sweet, resinous fragrance now describes a sharp condiment. The two words "balmy" and "balsamico" are doublets of it, meaning they share the same ancestry but reached English or Italian by separate routes, with "balmy" arriving as a softened, mild-weather sense of the same root.

Synonyms: syrupy, sweet