Meaning & use
basted
Last updated
“basted” is a form of “baste”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
poured fat, juice, or sauce over meat or other food while it was cooking to keep it moist.
Grammar: Used with an object: someone basted the turkey. The verb 'baste' takes a direct object.
Patterns
- baste something with something
- baste the meat
- basted in its own juices
She basted the turkey every thirty minutes with the pan juices.
The chicken was basted with a honey and soy mixture.
He basted the vegetables in olive oil before roasting them.
verbtransitive
sewed pieces of cloth together with long, loose stitches before final sewing.
Grammar: Takes an object: she basted the hem. Often used in the passive: the seams were basted.
Patterns
- baste something together
- baste a hem
- basted seams
She basted the hem so it would stay in place while she sewed.
The tailor basted the jacket pieces together for a fitting.
The seams were basted by hand before the final stitching.
Common combinations
- baste with butter
- Baste the turkey with butter to keep it from drying out.
- baste the meat
- Remember to baste the meat every twenty minutes.
- baste together
- Baste the two pieces of fabric together before you sew them.
- baste a hem
- She basted a hem quickly so the dress would hold its shape.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: basted or basted?
basted vs basted
Not to be confused with 'basted' as in 'basted eggs', which are eggs cooked by spooning hot fat over them.
Practice
Choose the correct word: The chef ______ the roast with its own juices.
Choose one answer.
The sentence needs a past tense verb, so 'basted' is correct. 'Baste' is the base form, 'basting' is the -ing form, and 'bastes' is third person singular, which would not agree with 'the chef' in past tense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “basted”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.