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

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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

Though McElhone used bourbon in the original recipe, over the years the libation has evolved to generally feature rye, sweet vermouth, and Campari in equal parts—a warmer cousin to the Negroni. — Andrew Daniels, Popular Mechanics, "Celebrate World Cocktail Day with a Surprising Spin on the Boulevardier," 13 May 2019 For questions about today's recipe, call 313-972-1920. — Darlene Zimmerman, Detroit Free Press, "Red, white and blue cookies are a patriotic and healthy treat for the holiday," 2 July 2018 Place the thermometer in the center of the oven and preheat for at least twenty-five minutes before adjusting the oven controls to get the temperature specified in the recipe. — Francine Maroukian, Popular Mechanics, "The Only Meat Thermometer Any Serious Person Needs," 29 Oct. 2018 The complaints, filed in the US District Court in Northern California, the San Francisco Superior Court, and US District Court in New York, specifically reference a key ingredient in Juul’s recipe: compounds called nicotine salts. — Rachel Becker, The Verge, "Juul users sue over the addictive e-cigarette," 23 July 2018 The box contains enough spaghetti for six meals, all scooped out and ready to use in a recipe. — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, "Why You Should Be Buying Spaghetti Squash at Costco," 7 June 2018 Following her best-selling debut book, Julia Reed’s South, this brand-new cookbook from frequent ED contributor Julia Reed offers recipes, party playlists, and bit of New Orleans history for anyone who wants to throw a spirited Big Easy bash. — Jennifer Milne, ELLE Decor, "How to Throw a New Orleans-Style Fete, According to Julia Reed," 11 Apr. 2019 Their final Slow Food Fast recipe, a tart of baby artichokes and celery root under a blanket of puff pastry, contains not much more than the ingredients listed in the name. ... — Kitty Greenwald, WSJ, "It’s Baby Artichoke Time. Here’s What They Were Made to Do.," 22 Mar. 2019 Thanks to Stanford researchers, there might be a new recipe for hydrogen fuel: saltwater, electrodes and solar power. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Are Now Transforming Saltwater Into Hydrogen Fuel," 20 Mar. 2019

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.