braise
Americanverb (used with object)
-
braises,
present (3rd person singular)
-
braised,
past participle, past
-
braising
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
braisesimple
-
braisessimple
-
have braisedperfect
-
has braisedperfect
-
am braisingprogressive
-
are braisingprogressive
-
is braisingprogressive
-
have been braisingperfect progressive
-
has been braisingperfect progressive
Past
-
braisedsimple
-
had braisedperfect
-
was braisingprogressive
-
were braisingprogressive
-
had been braisingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of braise
1760–70; < French braiser, derivative of braise live coals < Germanic; akin to Swedish brasa pyre, fire, whence brasa to roast, cognate with Danish brase
Explanation
Braise meat or vegetables by cooking them very slowly in fat and a small amount of liquid. If you braise those potatoes and carrots, they'll be delicious! The word for this cooking method comes from the French braiser, "to cook over live coals," and braise, "live coals." When you braise food today, you're not literally cooking over coals, but you are aiming for a combination of dry and wet cooking. A true braise involves searing or lightly frying, and then adding liquid and cooking in a covered pot on a low heat. Meat and root vegetables become particularly tender when you braise them.
Vocabulary lists containing braise
Mardi Gras: Food
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Vocabulary from Readings, Unit 3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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:
You can braise the chicken to make a more concentrated sauce, which is delicious over buttered noodles.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 3, 2024
From his first taste of fresh mango at age 5 to the pork belly his mother loved to braise for him, food memories always have sustained him.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 16, 2024
We then braise that whole and separately pound out the rib loin paper-thin.
From Salon ● Nov. 19, 2023
You can braise meat in there, but oftentimes the broth tastes better than the meat, and the meat comes out dry.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2023
The pan in which a braise is to be made always should be lined with slices of bacon, carrot, onions and herbs, upon which the meat is placed.
From The Story of Crisco by Marion Harris Neil
Its 2¼-inch straight sides also make it useful for braises and finishing pasta in sauce.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025
After a long winter of braises and browns, this dish felt familiar yet surprising: comforting, beige at its base, but with a spark that made my sleepy taste buds sit up.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2025
Usually deep-fried for a satisfying crunch, or ground to a fine powder, they were unlike meats, which made for versatile cooking, from braises to barbecue.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2024
Browning is great for dry-heat dishes like steaks and roasts, but unnecessary for stews and braises.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 13, 2024
With the exception of a few trifling braises, not one of those who were thus surprised by so sudden a rise in the world was a bit the worse.
From Wild Adventures round the Pole The Cruise of the "Snowbird" Crew in the "Arrandoon" by Gordon Stables
“People tend to think that lasagna is simple, but it’s actually a bit more complicated than the braised short ribs,” Matijevich says.
From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2026
California Pizza Kitchen aims to highlight its diverse sit-down menu, which includes cedar plank salmon and braised short rib served with pappardelle pasta.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 5, 2026
Don’t miss some returning favorites, such as the barbacoa tamal de res, in which the beef is pleasantly tender, or the braised pork belly adobo, one of the heartier dishes at the festival.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2025
Shin compared the furor to a 2020 case in which a convenience store clerk was indicted for eating a 5,900 won pack of braised pig's feet.
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2025
Dinner was prawn cocktails in wine glasses for starters, lamb chops with chef’s hats with duchesse potatoes and braised celery for main, and a Baked Alaska for "dessert," not "afters."
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
Dutch ovens are perfect for braising, but can sometimes be absurdly expensive, so I'm not calling it a must-have.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2023
Of these techniques, the most common are braising, stewing, browning, frying, and baking.
From Salon ● Mar. 12, 2023
The trick to this recipe for curried swordfish with tomatoes and greens is to sear the fish, then steam it with the moisture that comes from braising the vegetables.
From New York Times ● Sep. 29, 2022
I do use a lot of oil for braising the beans.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 26, 2022
Angelo recommended slowly braising the leg, in his opinion the most flavorful cut.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
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.
