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

And there are skewers, as there have to be: One with Wagyu top sirloin marinated in pomegranate-ginger syrup, another with ground lamb and mint and another with springy chunks of king-trumpet mushrooms. —John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2025

This is where the Minnesota Vikings find themselves: marinating in Monday night’s loss and regrouping to prepare for the offseason and opportunities to reshape the team. —Alec Lewis, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025

More than 300 booths boasting food and drink offerings from 35 countries across five continents—from France, Italy and Spain to China, Australia, Chile, and Thailand—offer everything from ice wine, gin and pisco to abalone marinated in Chinese Moutai and fresh paella. —Baz Dreisinger, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024

Fresh fish marinated in zesty lime, this dish was a refreshing dive into Peru’s coastal treasures, bright and invigorating. —Walaa Elsiddig, Billboard, 4 Nov. 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