marinate

/ˌmɛrəˈneɪt/

/ˈmærɪneɪt/

Other forms: marinated; marinating; marinates

When you marinate food, you let it sit in a flavorful liquid before cooking it. You might marinate fish in soy sauce before putting it on the grill.

The liquid used to marinate meat, fish, or vegetables is called a "marinade," and it usually includes some acidic ingredient like lemon juice or vinegar that helps the flavors penetrate the food. When you marinate chicken or tofu or beef, it becomes more moist and delicious after you cook it. The French root, mariner, means "to pickle in sea brine."

Definitions of marinate

1. verb

   soak in marinade
   synonyms: marinade

   type of:

   infuse, steep

   let sit in a liquid to extract a flavor or to cleanse