baste

¹ American  

[beyst] / beɪst /

verb (used with object)

basted, basting

1. 

   to sew with long, loose stitches, as in temporarily tacking together pieces of a garment while it is being made.

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baste ² American  

[beyst] / beɪst /

verb (used with object)

basted, basting

1. to moisten (meat or other food) while cooking, with drippings, butter, etc.

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noun

1. liquid used to moisten and flavor food during cooking.

   a baste of sherry and pan juices.

baste ³ American  

[beyst] / beɪst /

verb (used with object)

basted, basting

1. to beat with a stick; thrash; cudgel.

2. to denounce or scold vigorously.

   an editorial basting the candidate for irresponsible statements.

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baste ¹ British  

/ beɪst /

verb

1. (tr) to sew with loose temporary stitches

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baste ² British  

/ beɪst /

verb

1. to moisten (meat) during cooking with hot fat and the juices produced

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baste ³ British  

/ beɪst /

verb

1. (tr) to beat thoroughly; thrash

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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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

baste basted basting

You baste every 30 minutes before removing the cheesecloth to cook uncovered to burnish the skin.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 16, 2023

Street vendors across East Asia scrunch small pieces of meat onto skewers and baste them over hot coals with a sweet and savory sauce.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 11, 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

Add the butter, chorizo, chives, parsley and dill, and as the butter starts to foam, baste the scallops for about 30 seconds.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 5, 2022

That baste, Cuhullin," replied Fin; "and how to manage I don't know.

From Celtic Folk and Fairy Tales by Various

When it comes to flavoring and seasoning a steak, I like keeping it minimalist: heavily seasoned with salt and then simply basted with rosemary, garlic and butter.

From Salon ● Feb. 21, 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

It was the second year in a row that Langford hit a game-winning homer in the championship game, having basted a two-run shot in the top of the eighth inning last spring against the Highlanders.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2024

As a child, Yamamoto said he sometimes snacked on soy-sauce basted grasshoppers.

From Reuters ● Jul. 26, 2023

Six monstrous huge aurochs had been roasting for hours, turning slowly on wooden spits while kitchen boys basted them with butter and herbs until the meat crackled and spit.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

I considered basting the tomatoes in butter and stewing them down with miso until soft and glossy.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026

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

But, despite basting it with melted butter and wine every half-hour, this bird was so dry.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 16, 2023

Then we take a two-step approach to ensure it stays moist, basting it in butter as it cooks and then serving it with a luscious but bright sauce.

From Washington Times ● May 19, 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

Related Words

• grease