macerate
Soften by soaking
To macerate is to soften something by soaking it in liquid.
Fruit macerates in wine or sugar syrup; dried herbs macerate in oil.
The process breaks down texture and releases flavors.
By extension, macerate can mean to waste away or cause to grow thin: He was macerated by grief.
The figurative use is uncommon but appears in older texts.
Rising at sharp angle
- immersePlunge into liquid entirely
- submergePlunge beneath liquid
- saturateSoak to full capacity
- drenchSoak something completely
bathe · souse · dip · wet · moisten · sop · waterlog · douse
Make less tough
- dissolveDisperse into liquid
- mushySoft or saccharine
- squishySoft and easily compressed
- spongySoft and absorbent
pliable · yielding · liquefy · disintegrate · weaken · loosen · slake · supple
Compress with force
Vinegar-preserved vegetable
- cureTreatment that heals
- brineWater saturated with sodium
- vinegarAcidic cooking liquid
- saltSodium chloride compound
ferment · season · marinade · ceviche · escabeche · kimchi · sauerkraut · relish
steep
Rising at sharp angle
drench · bathe · souse · dip · wet · moisten · sop · waterlog · douse · permeate
tenderize
Make less tough
spongy · pliable · yielding · liquefy · disintegrate · weaken · loosen · slake · supple · gelatinize
crush
Compress with force
grind · puree · disintegrate · fragment · hemp · flax · retting
pickle
Vinegar-preserved vegetable
salt · ferment · season · marinade · ceviche · escabeche · kimchi · sauerkraut · relish · chutney
fruit
Edible plant ovary
cherries · sugar · spirits · brandy · rum · syrup · compote · dessert · raisins · prunes
decompose
Break into simpler parts
- rotOrganic breakdown process
- putrefyDecompose with stench
- deteriorateGrow worse over time
spoil · degrade · fester · moulder · waste · wither · shrivel · desiccate · atrophy
- tenderizingtenderizer, mallet, meat mallet, meat tenderizer, pounding
- cookingbaking, chop, boiling, dice, mince
- crushing wordssmash, crush, grind, pound, pulverize
- mixingmix, stir, blend, shake, combine
- mouth actionsbite, biting, chewing, chew, swallowing
- apothecarypharmacy, apothecary, drugstore, dispensary, pharmacist