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

Cover and transfer to the refrigerator to marinate together for at least 8 hours. —Liv Dansky, Southern Living, 10 Dec. 2024

They can be used for prep work (like marinating meat and chopped vegetables), baking and cooking (think: pastas, desserts, and casseroles), and storing leftovers. —Emily Weaver, People.com, 2 Dec. 2024

Inspired by this experience, the chicken tikka on his menu (called anarkali chicken) uses pomegranate in three ways: as a tenderizer while being marinated, in the garlic and chili paste, and in the glaze. —Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2024

Attendees then proceeded to help shred the meat which would then be marinated with herbs and drenched with roasted lemons and devoured within minutes. —Chelsea Davis, Forbes, 2 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