baking

American  

[bey-king] / ˈbeɪ kɪŋ /

noun

1. the activity or practice of cooking food using dry heat, especially in an oven.

   Baking can give cuts of poultry a crispy, browned exterior.

2. food cooked using dry heat, especially bread, pastry, cakes, etc..

   Nothing puts me into the Christmas spirit like the smells of holiday baking.

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adjective

1. extremely hot.

   It was unseasonably cold last week, but this week it's absolutely baking.

2. used in preparing food cooked with dry heat, especially bread, pastry, cakes, etc..

   I can't make cookies without a baking tray.

3. suited for use in pies, pastry, etc..

   Proper baking apples are needed for a good apple crumble.

baking British  

/ ˈbeɪkɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. the process of cooking bread, cakes, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a baking dish

2. the bread, cakes, etc, cooked at one time

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adjective

1. (esp of weather) very hot and dry

Etymology

Origin of baking

First recorded in 1300–50; 1650–60 baking for def. 3; Middle English; bake ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; bake ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses

Example Sentences

Mills had been due to feature in an episode of the baking competition alongside singer Rag'n'Bone Man, DJ Edith Bowman and JLS star Aston Merrygold.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

At home, I keep it rustic and dollop generous mounds of meringue onto lined baking trays, then use the back of a teaspoon to shape them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

In a pilot scale baking trial, bread was made using wheat flour enriched with high levels of AX.

From Science Daily • Mar. 16, 2026

Did they lend you a cup of sugar when you were baking a five-layer cake?

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

She’d gotten flustered while baking, so her pie crust design looked messy.

From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks

Related Words

• blistering
• boiling
• red-hot
• scorching
• searing
• sizzling
• sweltering