noun
brine
BRYN
noun
1
Water that has a lot of salt dissolved in it, used for pickling or preserving food.
"The cucumbers sat in brine for a week before they became pickles."
"She soaked the turkey in a brine overnight before roasting it."
verb
1
To soak food in a strong salt solution, either to preserve it or to add flavor and moisture before cooking.
"Brine the chicken for a few hours for a juicier roast."
"Fishermen used to brine their catch to keep it from spoiling."
How to Use Brine
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishVery salty water used to preserve or flavor food, and the verb for soaking food in it.
Common pairings
soak in brine
brine solution
brine the meat
Word Forms
brined past tense, brines plural, brines singular
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The cucumbers sat in _____ for a week before they became pickles.
Etymology
From Old English brine, meaning salt water — the root is ancient and shared with several other Germanic languages, all pointing back to the same "salty liquid" idea.