verb

marinate

MAIR-ih-nayt/ˈmærɪneɪt/

To leave food soaking in a seasoned liquid.

The cook marinates vegetable skewers in a glass dish before cooking.

Cook lowers raw vegetable skewers into glass dish of herb marinade; submerged pieces clearly soak in seasoned liquid before cooking, no stove or flames.

Etymology

Mariner meant to pickle food in sea brine. The modern verb keeps the central action of soaking food, but the liquid can be a seasoned mixture rather than brine.

In context

Jessica in the Kitchen - Easy Vegan Recipes6:02

I just lay them all in, pour the marinade over. So, just use what you have. And then we're just going to let this marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Why Your Tofu is Bland (And How to Fix It) | 3 Marinades + 3 Cooking Methods

More examples

Marinate the chicken in lemon juice, oil, and garlic.
The tofu marinates in soy sauce and ginger for an hour.
We grilled the mushrooms after marinating them overnight.

Forms

marinate · marinates · marinated · marinating

marinade noun — A seasoned liquid used for soaking food.

Similar words

soak: Means leaving something in liquid, not necessarily seasoned liquid.
brine: Specifically means soaking food in a saltwater solution.