Mash
/mæʃ/
Definitions
3 meaningsTo crush or pulverize something, typically a food item, into a pulpy consistency.
/mæʃ/
To crush something into a soft mass.
I mashed the avocado to make guacamole.
💡 Simply: Like squishing something soft until it's all broken up and mixed together. Think of mashing bananas for banana bread! You're making a mushy mix.
👶 For kids: To squish something really hard until it's soft like a paste.
More Examples
He mashed the tomatoes for the sauce.
The machine mashes the grapes for winemaking.
How It's Used
"She mashed the potatoes with a fork."
"The brewer mashes the grains to extract sugars."
A mixture of ingredients that has been crushed or ground into a soft, pulpy, or pasty mass.
/mæʃ/
A soft, pulpy mixture.
The baby loved eating fruit mash.
💡 Simply: It’s a soft, squishy mixture, like what you get when you mash up potatoes. It can also be a food or feed for animals.
👶 For kids: A squishy, soft mixture of something like mashed potatoes.
More Examples
The farmers prepared a mash for their livestock.
The recipe called for a mash of sweet potatoes and spices.
How It's Used
"The mashed potatoes were creamy and delicious."
"The chickens were fed a mash of grains."
In brewing, to mix crushed grains with hot water to release fermentable sugars.
/mæʃ/
To mix ingredients in brewing.
The brewer mashes the malted barley with hot water in the mash tun.
💡 Simply: In beer making, you're mixing crushed grains with hot water. This helps make the sugary stuff the yeast needs to make beer.
👶 For kids: To mix something with water in beer making.
More Examples
Proper mashing is crucial for the beer's flavor and alcohol content.
The specific temperature during the mash affects the beer's characteristics.
How It's Used
"The brewer mashes the grains with hot water to extract the sugars."
Idioms & expressions
mash up
To mix or combine things, often creating something new.
"The DJ mashed up several popular songs."
From Middle English maschen, from Old English *mascian* (attested only in compounds), related to German matschen.
The word 'mash' has been used for centuries in the context of food preparation, particularly for animals and people. Its application in brewing developed over time.
Memory tip
Imagine a chef smashing potatoes with a masher.