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

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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cooking

Many contain artificial sweeteners, coloring agents, and other ingredients rarely used in home cooking.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

"Food prices, cooking gas and electricity bills have all gone up," Mamun, a 28-year-old factory worker, told AFP.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

"Food prices, cooking gas and electricity bills have all gone up -- the government must either bring down the prices of essential commodities or raise our wages," said Mamum, 28, a factory worker.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

The Americans, in turn, claimed to be able to identify the enemy by the distinctive odor of nuoc mam, the fermented-fish condiment that is a staple of Vietnamese cooking.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

“Sue, why don’t you stop all the cooking and just sit down for a minute?”

From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney

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Related Words

• cookery
• cuisine
• culinary art
• culinary science

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