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

But many other traditions like playing the dreidel game, listening or singing to Hanukkah music or cooking latkes and sufganiyot (jelly donuts) are also ways people love to celebrate. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Dec. 2025

Born in 2013 in London’s swish Mayfair neighborhood, Gymkhana built its reputation on unapologetically flavorful Indian cooking served inside an intimate townhouse inspired by India’s historic members’ clubs. —Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 4 Dec. 2025

Adjective

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

For even more cooking inspiration, the Ninja Foodi Deluxe comes with a guide filled with 45 recipes, so, really, anyone in the family could turn themselves into a master chef. —Kylee McGuigan, Popular Mechanics, 15 Nov. 2022

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