Marinate
/ˈmær.ɪ.neɪt/noun
To soak food in a seasoned liquid before cooking or serving.
Did you know?Marinate is ultimately tied to Latin *mare* (“sea”), because the original idea was to soak something in a briny liquid, not to sprinkle it with modern culinary mystique.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mori-
“sea, body of water”
Latin
Latin
mare
“sea”
Late Latin
Latin
marināre
“to pickle or soak in brine”
16th Century
English
marinate
“to steep meat or fish in a seasoned liquid”
Modern English
English
marinate
“to soak food in a marinade before cooking”