cooking

American

[kook-ing] / ˈkʊk ɪŋ /

noun

the act of a person or thing that cooks.
the art or practice of preparing food; cookery.

adjective

used in preparing foods.

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The results showed that microwave frying led to quicker moisture loss, reduced cooking times, and lower oil uptake overall.

From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026

Darling is one of a handful of companies turning animal fats, cooking oil, and food waste into diesel, jet fuel, fertilizer, and feedstock.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Takhar and doctoral student Yash Shah outlined their findings in two recent studies focused on how microwave frying changes what happens inside French fries during cooking.

From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026

He helps with physical care for his mum, as well as supporting his dad with things such as cooking dinner and cleaning the home.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

We lived for summer because Tansy was home to do most of the cooking for us.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023