recipe

noun

rec·i·pe | \ ˈre-sə-(ˌ)pē

Definition of recipe

1 : prescription sense 4a

2 : a set of instructions for making something from various ingredients

3 : a formula or procedure for doing or attaining something a recipe for success

Synonyms The History of Receipt and Recipe More Example Sentences Learn More about recipe

Keep scrolling for more

The History of Receipt and Recipe

These days it may seem odd to speak of "grandma's cookie receipt," but at one time the only meaning of receipt was "recipe." The first recorded use of receipt is a reference to a medicinal preparation in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (c. 1386). Recipe didn't arrive until the 1500s, and it was also first used to describe medicine. Both words began to be applied to cooking only in the 18th century, after which recipe slowly became the preferred word. Receipt acquired its currently more familiar sense of "a written statement saying that money or goods have been received" in the 17th century. Both receipt and recipe are thought to be ultimately derived from Latin recipere ("to receive"), making them probable relatives as well as synonyms.

Examples of recipe in a Sentence

The recipe calls for fresh thyme. I didn't read the recipe carefully. This is one of my grandmother's recipes.

Recent Examples on the Web

Use these 21 recipes to start incorporating it into your life, stat. — Audrey Bruno, SELF, "21 Delicious Ways to Cook With Grapefruit," 29 Jan. 2019 Interested in the royal recipe for mince pies or ginger Christmas biscuits? — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Listen to Prince Charles Read an Excerpt from Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol," 17 Dec. 2018 At the farm-themed camps, kids learn firsthand where food comes from — and how to prepare that food using simple recipes. — Anne Schamberg, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "YMCA farm-themed camps teach where food comes from," 3 July 2018 Shi illustrated the recipe for the perfect Bao and shared the instructions with TIME—though these versions of the dumplings won’t come to life. — Eliana Dockterman, Time, "Here's the Tasty Recipe for the Bao From Pixar's Charming New Short Bao," 14 June 2018 Everything is made from scratch using the Knotts’ original recipes. — Arthur Levine, USA TODAY, "Knott's Berry Farm: Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant stays true to its past," 6 June 2018 The ingredients are different, but there could be potentially risky chemicals unique to the liquid nicotine recipe in electronic cigarettes that public health researchers don’t know to look for. — Rachel Becker, The Verge, "Is vaping better than smoking? Scientists studied pee to find out," 14 Dec. 2018 The old Middleton family recipe is for marrow chutney—a kind of fruity condiment that many pair with cheese or bread. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "What Will Meghan Markle Give the Queen This Christmas?," 13 Dec. 2018 Clayton is a local boy (who grew up on Hilton Head Island) who’s restaurant highlights all the best recipes and ingredients of Lowcountry cooking. — Matt Hranek, Condé Nast Traveler, "Hilton Head Island, Revisited," 19 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'recipe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.