noun
- any of several sulfates of metals, as copper sulfate (blue vitriol), iron sulfate (green vitriol), or zinc sulfate (white vitriol)
- sulfuric acid
- sharpness or bitterness of feeling, as in speech or writing; venom
Origin:
ME < MFr < ML vitriolum, vitriol < LL vitreolus, glassy < L vitreus, glassy: from the glassy appearance
transitive verb vitrioled or vitriolled, vitrioling or vitriolling
to treat with or as with vitriol