cooking

1 of 3

present participle of cook entry 2

cooking

2 of 3

noun

cook·​ing ˈku̇-kiŋ 

1

a

: the act of preparing food for eating especially by heating : the act of cooking food

I do most of the cooking for our family.

b

: a manner of preparing food : cuisine

a technique used in French cooking

2

: food that is cooked

Do you like my cooking?

see also home cooking

cooking

3 of 3

adjective

: suitable or used for cooking

bought some cooking apples

cooking techniques

Cooking time is about 30 minutes.

Examples of cooking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Transfer to oven; bake, uncovered, until cauliflower is caramelized, about 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking time. —Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026

Scott, a chef, typically took charge of cooking. —Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026

Adjective

Our experts say having a post-cooking cleanse is the ultimate daily habit to keeping your home clean and preventing unwanted odors in your home. —Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025

One easy post-cooking task is wiping down your kitchen counters. —Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1791, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cooking

• be cooking
• cooking spray
• home cooking
• Now you're cooking

Rhymes for cooking

• booking
• brooking
• hooking
• looking
• overlooking