preheat

verb

pre·​heat (ˌ)prē-ˈhēt 

preheated; preheating; preheats

transitive verb

: to heat (something) beforehand

especially : to heat (an oven) to a designated temperature before using for cooking

preheater noun

Examples of preheat in a Sentence

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees before you put the roast in.

Recent Examples on the Web

Make sure to always take time to preheat your oven before baking. — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 24 July 2026

The headline feature across the lineup is Air Fry Max which, according to Samsung, delivers crispy results without the need to preheat and cuts cooking times by up to 15% compared to the Air Fry modes found on previous-gen models. — Paul Lamkin, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

If using a griddle, preheat the griddle for at least 10 minutes. — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 14 July 2026

To set up indirect grilling, preheat the grill, clean the grates, and adjust burners based on grill size. — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for preheat

• amit
• athlete
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete

Kids Definition

preheat

verb

pre·​heat (ˈ)prē-ˈhēt 

: to heat beforehand

preheat the oven to 400 degrees