cooking

American  

[kook-ing] / ˈkʊk ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that cooks.

2. the art or practice of preparing food; cookery.

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adjective

1. used in preparing foods.

   All of my cooking utensils are packed, so I had to order pizza.

2. suited for use in cooked food.

   The Golden Delicious is our favorite cooking apple, especially for applesauce.

Other Word Forms

• self-cooking
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cooking

First recorded in 1635–45; cook ¹ + -ing ¹ for the noun senses; cook ¹ + -ing ² for the adjective senses

Example Sentences

In addition to his passion for journalism and multimedia storytelling, Xavier has a keen interest in fashion, cooking and archery.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

Carlo Petrini, whose worldwide Slow Food movement has spent 40 years promoting quality traditional cooking and sustainable farming, has died at the age of 76, his organisation announced Friday.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

As he grew older, and cooking and cleaning became harder, his labor of love became a family affair, with his sons regularly helping out.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

They also show why food specific testing matters, since PAH levels can vary widely depending on ingredients, processing, cooking methods, and environmental exposure.

From Science Daily • May 22, 2026

Mama now took care of everything—grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, washing our clothes, paying bills and tuition.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

• cookery
• cuisine
• culinary art
• culinary science