marinate
verb
mar·i·nate
ˈmer-ə-ˌnāt 
ˈma-rə-
marinated; marinating
: 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
Matthew FortThe 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
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
William Grimes … herb-marinated cashew cheese served with garnishes like olives, honey and dates. —Florence Fabricant
Florence Fabricant … had the genius idea to fill a tender crust with thinly sliced lemons marinated in sugar. —Monica Micahel Willis
Monica Micahel Willis
: 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
Maria Lo PintoCeviche, 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
Bon AppetitExamples 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
All the chicken is halal certified and marinated for 12 hours and a breakfast menu will also be available.
—Kevin Rozario, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Let the fluke marinate for five minutes to allow the juices to be extracted from the fish.
—Carole Kotkin, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2025
Zombie embraces slow, creeping tension, often holding shots for longer than expected, forcing the audience to marinate in the film’s suffocating atmosphere.
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Both the free-range pork and chicken versions are marinated in a bright and herb-heavy secret sauce before being spit-roasted and served in a homemade Greek pita (thicker than Arabic pita and pocketless) and stuffed with the classic trinity of lettuce, tomato, and red onions.
—Lindsey Tramuta, Bon Appétit, 20 Mar. 2025
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Kevin Rozario, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Let the fluke marinate for five minutes to allow the juices to be extracted from the fish.
—Carole Kotkin, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2025
Zombie embraces slow, creeping tension, often holding shots for longer than expected, forcing the audience to marinate in the film’s suffocating atmosphere.
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Both the free-range pork and chicken versions are marinated in a bright and herb-heavy secret sauce before being spit-roasted and served in a homemade Greek pita (thicker than Arabic pita and pocketless) and stuffed with the classic trinity of lettuce, tomato, and red onions.
—Lindsey Tramuta, Bon Appétit, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for marinate
Cite this Entry
“Marinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marinate. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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