Vinaigrette is a French word that refers to a sour, savory sauce of which there are a hundred variations, however, its basic ingredients are always oil and vinegar. The primary use is as salad dressings, but Vinaigrettes can also be served on numerous fish, seafood, and even meat dishes. Vinaigrette is pronounced as "vin-uh-gret" Vinaigrette is from French word Vinaigre (vinegar) which literally means vin (wine) + aigre (sour) "sour wine" and ette means "small" = little vinegar and can also be "little sour wine"