Baste means to moisten food while it's cooking by spooning, brushing, or drizzling liquid over it. When you baste a turkey in the oven, you open the door every so often and use a large spoon or brush to coat the bird with its own juices, melted butter, or broth. This keeps the meat from drying out and helps it develop a golden, flavorful outside.

Basting is like giving food a drink while it cooks. The liquid seeps into the surface, keeping everything tender and juicy. Many recipes for roasted chicken, pork roasts, or beef call for basting every 20 or 30 minutes. Some cooks baste ribs on the grill with barbecue sauce, building up layers of sticky, caramelized flavor.

The word can also mean to sew something temporarily with loose, long stitches that you'll remove later. A tailor might baste pieces of fabric together to check the fit before sewing them permanently. This kind of basting holds things in place without commitment, like a rough draft before the final version.