marinate

verb

mar·​i·​nate ˈmer-ə-ˌnāt 

ˈma-rə-

marinated; marinating

transitive verb

: to steep (food such as meat, fish, or vegetables) in a marinade

… fillet of beef, marinated in rice wine with tamarind, cardamom and vegetable pilaf.

—Matthew Fort

The immense variety of salads, marinated vegetables and beans, frittatas and little tarts that appear on Italian antipasto tables and Spanish tapas bars also provide ideas for this approach.

—Susan Jane Cheney

often : to coat or cover (food) with herbs, spices, etc. and let rest before cooking or serving

… a new-fangled brochette of shrimp marinated in spices and skewered with sweet, creamy chunks of date.

—William Grimes

… herb-marinated cashew cheese served with garnishes like olives, honey and dates.

—Florence Fabricant

… had the genius idea to fill a tender crust with thinly sliced lemons marinated in sugar.

—Monica Micahel Willis

intransitive verb

: to become marinated

Have rabbit cleaned and cut into small serving pieces. Place in bowl. Pour burgundy over it. Allow to marinate for 6 hours.

—Maria Lo Pinto

Ceviche, a Peruvian appetizer also popular in the Caribbean and Central America, is prepared by combining bite-size pieces of raw fish with lime or lemon juice and allowing the mixture to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

—Bon Appetit

marination

ˌmer-ə-ˈnā-shən 

ˌma-rə-

noun

Examples of marinate in a Sentence

The recipe says that you should marinate the chicken overnight.

The chicken should be allowed to marinate overnight.

Recent Examples on the Web

Place the bag in a shallow baking dish and chill to marinate for up to 1 hour. —Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2024

Sprinkle over potatoes and let stand to marinate about 15 to 30 minutes. 5. —Yakir Levy, Orange County Register, 11 Apr. 2024

Unwrap and place half of the tofu cubes in a small bowl; drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce and a pinch of salt, and set aside to marinate. 4. —Melissa Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024

Combine the tomatoes with vinaigrette in a small dish to marinate at room temperature while preparing the rest of the dish, about 40 minutes. —Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024

The filmmakers didn’t have long to marinate on the notes. —Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024

This recipe will show you how to marinate prime rib to achieve a deep brown exterior color and juicy interior. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Feb. 2024

The marinade may not cover the pork, just turn over pork after a few hours to marinate both sides. —The View, ABC News, 5 Jan. 2024

While ceviche is seen as a local dish in many countries from Chile to Mexico, Peruvians call this famous concoction of raw fish marinated in lime juice Peru’s national dish. —Johanna Read, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably from Italian marinato, past participle of marinare to marinate, from marino

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

marinate

verb

mar·​i·​nate ˈmar-ə-ˌnāt 

marinated; marinating

: to soak in a marinade