Verweken

Verweken is a Dutch verb meaning to soak or soften something by immersing it in liquid, or to become saturated with moisture. The action is common in everyday contexts such as cooking, gardening, and material processing. In cooking, verweken is used to describe soaking dried ingredients (for example beans, lentils, or grains) in water to soften them and shorten cooking time. It can also refer to bread or biscuits being softened by milk or other liquids. In horticulture, seeds or bulbs may be verweekt to speed germination, and in agriculture or textiles, fabrics or hides can be verweekt to loosen fibers or finishes.

Etymology and form: Verweken derives from the prefix ver- combined with weken, the base verb meaning to wet or dampen. The word is used both transitively and intransitively, depending on the construction. The past participle is verweekt, used to describe something that has already absorbed moisture (for example, een verweekt brood – a soaked bread). The simple past forms vary with standard Dutch conjugation rules for weak verbs.

Usage notes: Verweken emphasizes the process of saturation and softening through immersion or absorption, rather than mere dampening. It is often contrasted with shorter or partial moistening, or with mechanical methods of softening. The term appears in practical cookery guidance, horticultural instructions, and crafts involving textiles or leather where moisture alters texture or handling.

See also: weken, the related verb meaning to wet; moisture-related terms in Dutch.