Definition of BRINE

brine

Plural: brines

Noun

  • water containing salts
  • a strong solution of salt and water used for pickling
  • Salt water; water saturated or strongly impregnated with salt; a salt-and-water solution for pickling.
  • The sea or ocean; the water of the sea.

Verb

  • soak in brine
  • To preserve food in a salt solution.
  • To prepare and flavor food (especially meat) for cooking by soaking in a salt solution.

Examples

  • "Do you want a can of tuna in oil or in brine?"

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English brine, bryne, from Old English brīne, from Proto-West Germanic *brīnā, from Proto-Germanic *brīnǭ (“salt water, brine”) (compare Scots brime, West Frisian brein, Dutch brijn (“brine”), West Flemish brijne), of unknown ultimate origin, but probably from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreyH- (“to cut, maim”).
Cognates include Old Irish ro·bria (“may hurt, damage”), Latin friāre (“to rub, crumble”), Slovene bríti (“to shave, shear”), Albanian brej (“to gnaw”), Sanskrit बृणाति (bṛṇā́ti, “they injure, hurt”).
Alternatively, from Proto-Indo-European *mriHnós, from *móri (compare Latin marīnus).

Synonyms

saltwater, seawater

Antonyms

debrine, desalinate, fresh water

Scrabble Score: 7

brine is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
brine is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
brine is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

brine is a valid Words With Friends word