brine

Brine (&?;), v. t. 1. To steep or saturate in brine.

2. To sprinkle with salt or brine; as, to brine hay.

Brine (&?;), n. [AS. bryne a burning, salt liquor, brine, fr. brinnan, brynnan, to burn. See Burn.]

1. Water saturated or strongly impregnated with salt; pickle; hence, any strong saline solution; also, the saline residue or strong mother liquor resulting from the evaporation of natural or artificial waters.

2. The ocean; the water of an ocean, sea, or salt lake.

Not long beneath the whelming brine . . . he lay.
Cowper.

3. Tears; -- so called from their saltness.

What a deal of brine
Hath washed thy sallow cheecks for
Rosaline!
Shak.

Brine fly (Zoöl.), a fly of the genus Ephydra, the larvæ of which live in artificial brines and in salt lakes. -- Brine gauge, an instrument for measuring the saltness of a liquid. -- Brine pan, a pit or pan of salt water, where salt is formed by cristallization. -- Brine pit, a salt spring or well, from which water is taken to be boiled or evaporated for making salt. -- Brine pump (Marine Engin.), a pump for changing the water in the boilers, so as to clear them of the brine which collects at the bottom. -- Brine shrimp, Brine worm (Zoöl.), a phyllopod crustacean of the genus Artemia, inhabiting the strong brines of salt works and natural salt lakes. See Artemia. -- Brine spring, a spring of salt water. -- Leach brine (Saltmaking), brine which drops from granulated salt in drying, and is preserved to be boiled again.