cook
kuuk
Cook (noun) means a person who prepares food, especially as a job. Example: “The restaurant hired a new cook for the evening shift.”
noun
1
A person who prepares food, especially as a job.
"The restaurant hired a new cook for the evening shift."
"My uncle worked as a cook on a ship for many years."
"The school cook makes soup from fresh vegetables every Wednesday."
verb
1
To prepare food by applying heat.
"She cooked dinner for the whole family."
"He's learning to cook a few simple meals."
"Please cook the rice for about twenty minutes until it is soft."
2
(slang) To manufacture illegal drugs, especially methamphetamine.
"The film follows a chemistry teacher who starts to cook meth."
3
(informal) To tamper with or falsify records or figures.
"The accountant was accused of cooking the books."
"The manager was sacked for cooking the figures to hide the shop's losses."
"Someone had cooked the results so the experiment looked more successful than it was."
4
(informal) To be doing very well or proceeding successfully.
"Once the team found their rhythm, they were really cooking."
"The band played brilliantly tonight, and by the second song they were really cooking."
"Now that the new software is working, we're cooking and ahead of schedule."
How to use cook
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo prepare food using heat, or as a noun, someone whose job is preparing food. Informally it also covers faking figures or things going well.
Common mistake
"Cook the books" means to falsify financial records, not to prepare a recipe book.
Common pairings
cook dinner
cook the books
a professional cook
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Word forms
- Plural
- cooks
- Third person singular
- cooks
- Past tense
- cooked, cooken
- Archaic forms
- cookest, cooketh, cookedst
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The restaurant hired a new _____ for the evening shift.
Etymology
From Old English coc, ultimately from Latin coquus, "cook" — related to the Latin verb coquere, "to cook."
Synonyms
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Rhymes for cook
See all rhymes for cook →Frequently asked questions
What does “cook” mean?
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.
How do you pronounce “cook”?
“Cook” is pronounced kuuk (/kʊk/ in IPA).
How do you use “cook” in a sentence?
Here is “cook” used in a sentence: “The restaurant hired a new cook for the evening shift.”
What is another word for “cook”?
Words with a similar meaning to “cook” include do.
What part of speech is “cook”?
Depending on how it is used, “cook” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “cook” come from?
The word “cook” comes from Latin. From Old English coc, ultimately from Latin coquus, "cook" — related to the Latin verb coquere, "to cook.".
Is “cook” a common word?
“Cook” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “cook” have?
“Cook” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person who prepares food, especially as a job.
What is the difference between a cook and a chef?
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.
What are the different types of cook?
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.
Is 'cook' a noun or a verb?
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.
What does a cook do?
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.
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