• 酢す — vinegar
• 酢酸さくさん — acetic acid
• 酢豚すぶた — sweet-and-sour pork
• 酢味噌すみそ — vinegar miso sauce
• 酢飯すめし — sushi rice (vinegared rice)
• 黒酢くろず — black vinegar
• 米酢こめず — rice vinegar
• 酢すの物もの — vinegared dish

酢 is “vinegar.” The left side suggests fermentation / brewed liquids, and the right side supports the sound. From that idea, the character came to mean a sour, fermented seasoning — vinegar.