marinade
Americannoun
-
a seasoned liquid, usually of vinegar or wine with oil, herbs, spices, etc., in which meat, fish, vegetables, etc., are steeped before cooking.
-
meat, fish, vegetables, etc., steeped in it.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a spiced liquid mixture of oil, wine, vinegar, herbs, etc, in which meat or fish is soaked before cooking
-
meat or fish soaked in this liquid
verb
Etymology
Origin of marinade
1675–85; < French < Provençal marinado, noun use of feminine past participle of mariná to cure meat or fish in brine, verbal derivative of marin marine
Explanation
A marinade is a flavorful liquid that food is soaked in before being cooked. Before grilling chicken, you should let the meat sit in a marinade. Most marinades include spices, oil, and something acidic, like lemon juice or vinegar. Some recipes call for leaving food in a marinade briefly, while others instruct you to leave food in a marinade for days. This is a good way to make a tough cut of meat more tender. When you use a marinade, you marinate — both words come from the French mariner, "to pickle in sea brine," from the Latin marinus, "of the sea."
Vocabulary lists containing marinade
Mardi Gras: Food
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With the Fire on High
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Mexikid
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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.
It initially hit the right sweet, slightly piquant notes that al pastor meat should — but the flavor quickly dissipated because the marinade hadn’t soaked through the chicken chunks.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026
A marinade of yogurt, underripe mango, ginger, garlic and turmeric lends sweet-sharp depth.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 2, 2025
Remove the chicken from the marinade and let excess liquid drip off.
From Salon • Mar. 19, 2025
Christine and Paul Boyle's award-winning pie has a doner kebab filling made from chicken, beef and a chilli marinade with a sweet chilli sauce.
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2025
I make my way through the crowd with another Styrofoam cup of the dreadful red marinade, trying not to feel left out.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
