Third-person singular present tense: to sew pieces of fabric together with long, loose stitches, or to pour melted fat or sauce over roasting meat to keep it moist.
From Middle English and Old French 'baste,' the cooking origin is uncertain but may relate to Old Norse 'beysta' (to beat). The sewing usage developed as a metaphorical extension of the cooking technique.
Basting meat with its own fat is ancient chemistry—the heat makes the fat penetrate and cook the meat's surface faster than just dry heat alone, which is why Thanksgiving turkeys still get regularly basted after centuries!
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