marinate

verb

mar·​i·​nate ˈmer-ə-ˌnāt How to pronounce marinate (audio)
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 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 The song marinated during pandemic closures and now has more than 87 million streams on Spotify. Jessica Lipsky, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2024 Third Street is a cocoon of sorts, a chance for kids to marinate in empathetic community. Elizabeth Svoboda, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024 The next morning, as the guests depart, Marciano is still asleep, marinating his body in the heady aroma of his tequila farts. Brian Moylan, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2024 Now this bearish, slightly boorish artist is just another divorced guy living in the city, marinating in booze and self-pity. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for marinate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'marinate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of marinate was in 1645

Dictionary Entries Near marinate

Cite this Entry

“Marinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marinate. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

marinate

verb
mar·​i·​nate ˈmar-ə-ˌnāt How to pronounce marinate (audio)
marinated; marinating
: to soak in a marinade

More from Merriam-Webster on marinate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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