brine

American  

[brahyn] / braɪn /

noun

1. water saturated or strongly impregnated with salt.

2. a salt and water solution for pickling.

3. the sea or ocean.

4. the water of the sea.

5. Chemistry. any saline solution.

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verb (used with object)

brined, brining

1. to treat with or steep in brine.

brine British  

/ braɪn /

noun

1. a strong solution of salt and water, used for salting and pickling meats, etc

2. the sea or its water

3. chem

   1. a concentrated solution of sodium chloride in water

   2. any solution of a salt in water

      a potassium chloride brine

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verb

1. (tr) to soak in or treat with brine

brine Scientific  

/ brīn /

1. Water saturated with or containing large amounts of a salt, especially sodium chloride. The high salt content is usually due to evaporation or freezing.

2. The water of a sea or ocean.

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Other Word Forms

• brineless adjective
• briner noun
• brinish adjective
• brinishness noun
• unbrined adjective

Etymology

Origin of brine

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English brȳne; cognate with Dutch brijn

Example Sentences

Its cameras have filmed rare footage of groups of coelacanths near Indonesia, and observed newly discovered brine pools in the Red Sea.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

The other two are brine shrimp and brine flies, which are crucial food sources for millions of migratory birds that stop at the lake each year.

From Science Daily • Jan. 10, 2026

The lake also contributes about $2 billion to the state’s economy, from mineral mining, recreation and the harvesting of brine shrimp.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

Pickle lemonade may have become a newfound trend, but the concept of incorporating pickle brine into commonplace beverages has existed for years.

From Salon • Aug. 29, 2025

The appearance of the mummy-to-be when he was removed from his brine bath, on the following afternoon, was something of a shock to everybody.

From "The Egypt Game" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Related Words

• marinade
• vinegar