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doneness

American  
[duhn-nis] / ˈdʌn nɪs /

noun

  1. the condition of being cooked to a desired degree.

    steak prepared to the doneness ordered by the customer.


Etymology

Origin of doneness

First recorded in 1925–30; done + -ness

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.

See Examples For:

Chung’s favorite dishes were prime rib and tri-tip that a chef seared to his preferred doneness.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 24, 2026

Think of it the way you might think of eggs: not as a single category, but as a spectrum of doneness, of mood, of purpose.

From Salon Apr. 3, 2026

To check for doneness, gently shake the pie plate or baking dish.

From Washington Times Dec. 13, 2023

Lay the pears on the hot grill, cut-side-down, for 4-5 minutes; resist moving them for 2 minutes so you can get nice grill marks, then check for doneness.

From Seattle Times Aug. 1, 2023

“A dog?” said Sam, popping it into his mouth, then poking a stick into the trout to test its doneness.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

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