preheat

1 of 2

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

preheater

2 of 2

noun

pre·​heater

"+

: any of various devices for preliminary heating: such as

a

: a heat exchanger used in brewing and distilling

b

: any of various devices for using waste heat for preliminary heating in petroleum refining processes

Examples of preheat in a Sentence

Verb

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

There’s Carla Bakes, Great Bakes, and The Dessert Table—basically one long excuse to preheat the oven. —The Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 June 2026

The Ninja air fryer preheats in just three minutes. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 8 June 2026

The riskiest habit is preheating an empty nonstick pan on high heat. —Ryan Brennan june 2, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026

For many recipes, preheating your skillet can help prevent sticking and encourage browning. —The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

preheat + -er

First Known Use

Verb

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