Marinade

Marinade

Noun / Verb · /ˈmær.ɪ.neɪd/

Definition

(Noun) a liquid mixture of oil, acid (vinegar, citrus, wine), and flavourings in which food is soaked before cooking to add flavour and sometimes tenderise it; (Verb) to soak food in such a mixture (also marinate).

Origin

From French marinade, from mariner (to pickle in brine), from Latin marinus (of the sea), from mare (sea). The connection being that the original marinades were saltwater brines — preserving fish and meat in sea-like saltwater mixtures. The same mare root connects marinade to marina, marine, and maritime.