Definition

1. Verb:
   • To soak food in a seasoned liquid (a marinade) before cooking: The primary meaning is to immerse food, typically meat, fish, or vegetables, in a savory, often acidic, liquid mixture to flavor it and sometimes tenderize it.

Usage

• The verb "marinate" describes the action of preparing food by soaking. It is a transitive verb, requiring a direct object (the food being marinated).
• The process can last from a few minutes to several days, depending on the recipe.
• The liquid used is called a "marinade."

Examples

• Verb:
  • You should marinate the chicken for at least two hours.
  • The recipe says to marinate the tofu in soy sauce and ginger.
  • The beef was marinated overnight in a red wine sauce.

Advanced Usage

• "To marinate in": This is the standard construction, specifying the liquid or the purpose.
  • Let the fish marinate in lemon juice and herbs.
• Figurative/Informal Use: Sometimes used metaphorically to mean to soak in or be immersed in an experience or idea.
  • He needed time to marinate in the new information before making a decision.

Variants and Related Words

• Marinade (noun): The seasoned liquid in which food is soaked.
  • The marinade for the steak includes garlic and rosemary.
• Marinated (adjective): Describes food that has undergone the marinating process.
  • We ordered marinated olives as an appetizer.

Synonyms

• Soak: To lie immersed in liquid.
• Steep: To soak in a liquid to extract flavor or to soften.
• Infuse: To instill or introduce a quality into something (often used for flavors in liquids).

Phrasal Verbs

• Marinate in: The standard phrasal construction. (See examples above).

Related Idioms

• Let it marinate: An informal idiom advising someone to take time to think about something.
  • That's a big idea. Let it marinate for a while before you decide.

Verb

1. soak in marinade
   • marinade herring