recipe
Americannoun
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a set of instructions for making or preparing something, especially a food dish.
a recipe for a cake.
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a medical prescription.
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a method to attain a desired end.
a recipe for success.
noun
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a list of ingredients and directions for making something, esp a food preparation
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med (formerly) a medical prescription
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a method for achieving some desired objective
a recipe for success
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of recipe
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin: take, imperative singular of recipere to receive
Explanation
A recipe is directions for making a dish or dessert, like your mother's award-winning recipe for chocolate chip cookies. The word recipe is most often used when talking about cooking. It includes two things: a list of ingredients that you'll need and the steps to take in order to make it. You can find recipes in cookbooks, on Web sites, in newspapers and magazines — or handed down in your family. Other than cooking, a recipe can also be a formula: the recipe for success is hard work, good timing and a little luck.
Vocabulary lists containing recipe
Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
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List 7
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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:
The website became known as a pop culture hub, where readers could indulge in the latest celebrity gossip or discover a unique cooking recipe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
They asked the chatbot to please read the recipe aloud to aid their sleep.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
On the theme of Caesar salad, Nigella Lawson’s controversial recipe — which was criticized by fans and culinary professionals more than a decade ago — has earned its redemption by being timely, useful and effortless.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
Turns out pairing Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard, Rajon Rondo, DeAndre Jordan and, yes, Russell Westbrook was a recipe for a truly awful 33-win team.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
"We'll help you find that creepy recipe thief."
From "Scream for Ice Cream: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #2" by Carolyn Keene
“We have a lot of terrific menu items, but some of our recipes and processes haven’t evolved in decades,” Masino said in 2024.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
“I don’t do a lot of social media, it’s all about grandbabies and recipes for me,” Powers said.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
I love a Snickers bar, so when I stumbled upon TikTok recipes for a five-ingredient date “Snickers,” I knew I had to try it.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Son-in-law Jaya develops recipes and makes ice cream for the business and the family is working towards the goal of seeing their products stocked on supermarket shelves.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
“Why can’t you use something from the cat, but not hurt it and let it go after? Like, the fur, instead of bones? Mama does substitutions for recipes all the time.”
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
