baste
1 Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
verb
verb
Etymology
Origin of baste1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English basten, from Anglo-French, Middle French bastir “to build, baste,” from Germanic; compare Old High German bestan “to mend, patch,” Middle High German besten “to lace, tie”; see also bast
Origin of baste2
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English basten, baist, of obscure origin; perhaps from Old French, Middle French basser “to soak (bread), moisten (meat)”
Origin of baste3
First recorded in 1525–35; variant of baist, perhaps from Old Norse beysta “to beat, thrash”; perhaps from baste 2 ( def. ) (the ladle for cooking used as a weapon)
Explanation
When cooks baste food, they brush or drizzle a savory liquid on it as it's cooking. If you baste your Thanksgiving turkey while it bakes, it will stay moist and tender. A chef might baste grilled vegetables with their marinade, or baste roasting meat with its own oily drippings. The technique keeps food from drying out as it cooks. Another meaning of baste is "to sew loosely." You might quickly baste the hem of a curtain before stitching it securely in place. The origin of the culinary baste is a bit of a mystery, but the sewing term comes from the Old French bastir, "construct" or "sew up."
Vocabulary lists containing baste
Much Ado About Nothing
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Blanch, Poach, and Scald: Cooking Methods
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Bronx Masquerade
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Some baste their eggs in hot fat, some insist on a lid to trap steam and ensure even cooking.
From Salon ● Feb. 11, 2025
Cook and baste the fish until the thickest parts reach 115°F to 120°F, or are nearly opaque when cut into, 2 to 3 minutes.
From Washington Times ● May 19, 2023
Be sure to baste the fish with this liquid during cooking and just before serving.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 16, 2023
To add to the flavour, Taylor’s preferred liquid to baste the turkey with is coffee, butter and maple syrup.
From BBC ● Dec. 7, 2022
"This is the way to baste the fellows with their own lard," growled Count Jacob, as, with a haughty air, he threw himself carelessly back on his bench.
From The Childhood of King Erik Menved An Historical Romance by Ingemann, Bernhard Severin
His wife had already basted the family turkey the night before and now she was cracking 180 eggs with a smile and wearing plastic gloves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 27, 2025
The programme title is a play on Lord Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical The Phantom of the Opera, basted on the novel by Gaston Leroux.
From BBC ● Jan. 20, 2025
As a child, Yamamoto said he sometimes snacked on soy-sauce basted grasshoppers.
From Reuters ● Jul. 26, 2023
CUMMING, Ga. – In a barn 40 miles north of downtown Atlanta, after barbecue was served and local dignitaries basted each other with encomia, Gov. Brian Kemp got down to brass tacks.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 19, 2022
Mr. Fenchel sat all day on his table and he didn’t have anything to do, so he basted and ripped and sewed and ripped on the same piece of cloth over and over.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
In August 2023, the state blamed another botched satellite launch on an error in the emergency basting system, but said it was "not a big issue".
From BBC ● May 21, 2025
Do note that basting can result in less crispy skin.
From Salon ● Nov. 25, 2024
But, despite basting it with melted butter and wine every half-hour, this bird was so dry.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 16, 2023
We layer on the flavors - first as a quick marinade for the chicken, then as a basting sauce, and finally as a finishing sauce.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 11, 2023
Jhiqui roasted the meat with sweet- grass and firepods, basting it with honey as it cooked, and there were melons and pomegranates and plums and some queer eastern fruit Dany did not know.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
