Marinate
Etymology
From Italian "marinare" and French "mariner," both from Latin "marinus" (of the sea), from "mare" (sea). To marinate originally meant to steep food in brine — that is, to treat it as if soaking in seawater.
verb · /MAIR-ih-nayt/
To soak food in a seasoned liquid before cooking to add flavor and, sometimes, tenderness.
What it names
The passive step where flavor and acid work their way into meat or vegetables while you do nothing but wait.
Example
Let the chicken marinate in yogurt and spices overnight so the flavor reaches the bone.
Related idea
Distinct from macerate: you marinate savory foods to season them before cooking, but you macerate fruit in sugar or alcohol to draw out its juices.