cuisine

American  

[kwi-zeen] / kwɪˈzin /

noun

• cuisines
  plural

1. a style or quality of cooking; cookery.

   Italian cuisine; This restaurant has an excellent cuisine.

2. Archaic. the kitchen or culinary department of a house, hotel, etc.

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cuisine British  

/ kwɪˈziːn /

noun

1. a style or manner of cooking

   French cuisine

2. the food prepared by a restaurant, household, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• cuisines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cuisine

1475–85; < French: literally, kitchen < Vulgar Latin *cocīna, for Latin coquīna; see kitchen

Explanation

Cuisine is a type of food that is cooked in a specific way based on a culture's ingredients, region, and traditions. If you're craving cannoli, a visit to Chinatown doesn't make much sense, since cheese is more characteristic of Italian cuisine. Boiling an egg or flipping burgers on the grill is cooking. But if you want to create cuisine, you need to understand how to prepare the culinary specialties of a particular country or culture. To make Italian cuisine, for example, you'll need to chop garlic, roll out pasta dough, and simmer pots of tomato sauce. When the word "fine" is attached to cuisine, it describes the food at a fancy restaurant that will part you with a good portion of your money.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cuisine cuisines

Choi, who lives in Koreatown, says his blend of Korean and Mexican cuisine is an homage to the street culture he grew up in.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

He also said he had learnt a lot about food from Dent, particularly Indian cuisine, which is central to Birmingham's culinary scene.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

The full-service restaurant and bar features classic American cuisine with California-sourced ingredients and is located at the top of the museum with sweeping city views.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Chili’s origins are debated, but it is believed to have its roots in Mexican cuisine and was popular in the 19th century as a cheap and portable source of protein for cowboys.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

One advertised Korean/Brazilian fusion tacos, which sounded like some kind of top-secret radioactive cuisine.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

Breakfast burritos in L.A. are canvases for individual creative expression, innovations that graft global cuisines or basic energy bombs to fuel the day.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

To break out of their rut, they began working their way through the cuisines of every country in the world at local restaurants and documenting their experience on social media.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

Chili peppers are eaten every day by billions of people and are an essential ingredient in cuisines across Asia, Latin America, Africa, and many other parts of the world.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

Without a doubt, he should have an opinion about these cuisines.

From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2026

“Real Chinese cuisines aren’t typically like this, bud. We’re eating Chinese-American food. It’s a different thing.”

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

Related Words

• cooking
• fare
• meal
• menu