Mother of vinegar
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Mother of vinegar
A cluster of the bacteria that converts alcohol to vinegar. When vinegar for household use was bought or made in multiple-gallon quantities, it might stay in a wooden barrel or cask for several months. During that time, the mother of vinegar would sometimes grow into gelatinous masses several inches across.
1001 Words and Phrases You Never Knew You Didn’t Know by W.R. Runyan Copyright © 2011 by W.R. Runyan