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

Melling stars opposite Alexander Skarsgård as the strapping Ray, a dominant biker who makes his sub Colin, who is learning the ropes, wear a dog collar and sleep on the bedroom rug and do all the shopping, cooking, and cleaning. —Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 5 Feb. 2026

Drain and reserve about 1/2 cup cooking water, and drain pasta. —Martha Stewart, 5 Feb. 2026

Adjective

Inspired by traditional beef stroganoff, this streamlined version swaps in quick-cooking, thin-cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts for a faster, lighter weeknight dinner that still tastes rich and deeply satisfying. —Hana Asbrink, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026

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

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