cook

1 of 2

noun

1
: a person who prepares food for eating
2
: a technical or industrial process comparable to cooking food
also : a substance so processed

cook

2 of 2

verb

cooked; cooking; cooks

transitive verb

1
: to prepare (food) for eating by a heating process
Cook the vegetables over low heat for 10 minutes.
The fish was cooked in a wine sauce.
He cooked dinner for his guests.
2
: concoct, fabricate
usually used with up
cooked up a scheme
3
: to alter (something, such as records) with the intention of deceiving or misleading : falsify, doctor
The point is that every country's numbers are the result of a specific set of testing and accounting regimes. Everyone is cooking the data, one way or another.Alexis C. Madrigal
see also cook the books
4
: to subject (something) to the action of heat or fire during preparation
Agents discovered a recipe for cooking meth at his lab …Andrew E. Serwer

intransitive verb

1
: to prepare food for eating especially by means of heat
We're too busy to cook tonight.
I enjoy cooking for friends.
2
: to undergo the action of being cooked
The rice is cooking now.
3
: occur, happen
She tried to find out what was cooking in the committee.
4
: to perform, do, or proceed well
The jazz quartet was cooking along.
The party cooked right through the night.
cookable adjective
Phrases
cook one's goose
: to make one's failure or ruin certain

Examples of cook in a Sentence

Noun the hearty meals prepared by the cook at summer camp Verb Cook the onions over low heat. She cooked a great meal. The fish was cooked in a white wine sauce. Carrots can be cooked, but they are often eaten raw. We're too busy to cook at home. He enjoys cooking on the weekends. The rice is still cooking, but it will be ready in 10 minutes. There's something cooking, but he won't say what.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Put vegetables in pan and cook until done, 20-30 minutes. Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 16 Mar. 2024 Add the butter lettuce, spinach, watercress, arugula and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the vegetables are wilted. Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 16 Mar. 2024 Gradually stir slurry into soup, stirring constantly, and cook until thickened, 1 minute. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 These rumors, which spread primarily in the American South, maintained that Black maids, cooks and other domestic workers were organizing to walk off the job at the first lady’s urging, leaving their white employers to do their own housework. Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 The closure will affect 62 workers, including bartenders, bussers, servers, managers, cooks and expeditors, according to a WARN Act layoff notice. John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 At lively Nishiki Market, a five-block-long shopping street with more than 100 restaurants and shops, everything that a Japanese cook could want can be found—seafood, produce, spices and rice varieties, as well as pots, tableware, knives and personalized chopsticks. Laura Manske, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 That didn’t work for the couple, who are avid cooks and like to spend up to 50 hours a week cooking, baking, curing, and fermenting in the kitchen together. Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024 How to properly use salt is my go-to answer when people ask me what’s the most important thing for home cooks to learn in the kitchen. Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024
Verb
Pressure cooked corned beef and cabbage As far as the potatoes, onions, cabbage & carrots go, a little more, or less is OK. Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 16 Mar. 2024 Abaza and her friend would cook together and argue about the origins of hummus, falafel and other Middle Eastern dishes. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 While pasta cooks, process greens and garlic, olive oil, lemon zest and salt in a blender until smooth and bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 Many countertop air poppers are capable of cooking larger quantities of popcorn, too. Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Mar. 2024 At the California restaurants, the morels were thoroughly cooked. Jen Christensen, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 Just cook it a little longer—about 10 minutes more. Jenna Anderson, Sunset Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024 During a brief romantic hiatus, Sophie gathers with the women in her family to cook in the farmhouse kitchen, with neither the tiresome Gordon or the dictatorial Ruby in the frame. Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Owens’ mom was a naturalist, cooking only natural foods. Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cook.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English cōc, from Latin coquus, from coquere to cook; akin to Old English āfigen fried, Greek pessein to cook

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cook was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near cook

Cite this Entry

“Cook.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cook. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cook

1 of 2 noun
: one who prepares food for eating

cook

2 of 2 verb
1
: to prepare food for eating especially by the use of heat
2
: to go through the process of being cooked
the rice is cooking now
3
a
: to think up
cook up a scheme
b
: to go on : happen
what's cooking
Etymology

Noun

Old English cōc "person who prepares food," from Latin coquus (same meaning), from coquere "to cook" — related to kitchen see Word History at kitchen

Biographical Definition

Cook

biographical name

James 1728–1779 English navigator and explorer

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