cook

The word “cook” means a person who prepares food, especially as a job. In plain terms, to prepare food using heat, or as a noun, someone whose job is preparing food. Informally it also covers faking figures or things going well.

“Cook” is pronounced kuuk (/kʊk/ in IPA).

Here is “cook” used in a sentence: “The restaurant hired a new cook for the evening shift.”

Words with a similar meaning to “cook” include do.

Depending on how it is used, “cook” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “cook” comes from Latin. From Old English coc, ultimately from Latin coquus, "cook" — related to the Latin verb coquere, "to cook.".

“Cook” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Cook” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person who prepares food, especially as a job.

A cook prepares food, often skilfully, but usually follows recipes and instructions. A chef is a trained culinary professional, typically running a kitchen, designing menus, and directing staff. Every chef can cook, but 'chef' implies formal training and leadership, while 'cook' covers anyone who makes meals, at home or for pay.

In professional kitchens, roles include the prep cook who readies ingredients, the line cook who works a station during service, and the short-order cook who makes quick dishes to order. Outside restaurants, there are home cooks, private cooks, and institutional cooks in schools, hospitals, or the military.

Both. As a noun, a cook is a person who prepares food, especially as a job. As a verb, 'to cook' means to prepare food using heat. So a cook cooks — the same word names the person and the action they perform.

A cook plans and prepares meals: gathering and measuring ingredients, chopping, seasoning, and applying heat by frying, boiling, roasting, or baking. In a job setting they also follow recipes, keep to food-safety and hygiene rules, manage timing, and present dishes so they arrive hot and ready to eat.