Word family noun cook cooker cookery cooking adjective cooked ≠ uncooked overcooked ≠ undercooked cooking verb cook overcook ≠ undercook
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcookcook1 /kʊk/ ●●● S1 W3 verb 1 [intransitive, transitive]DFCCOOK to prepare food for eating by using heat Where did you learn to cook? Cook the sauce over a low heat for ten minutes.cook a meal/dinner/breakfast etc I’m usually too tired to cook an evening meal.cook something for supper/lunch/dinner etc He was cooking rice for supper.cook somebody something She cooked them all a good dinner every night.cook (something) for somebody I promised I’d cook for them. slices of cooked ham a cooked breakfast2 [intransitive]DFCCOOK to be prepared for eating by using heat He could smell something delicious cooking. Hamburgers were cooking in the kitchen.3 → cook the books4 → be cooking5 → be cooking (with gas)GrammarCook belongs to a group of verbs where the same noun can be the subject of the verb or its object. • You can say: I’m cooking some pasta. In this sentence, ‘some pasta’ is the object of cook.• You can say: Some pasta is cooking. In this sentence, ‘some pasta’ is the subject of cook.COLLOCATIONSnounscook a mealShall I cook the meal tonight?cook breakfast/lunch/dinnerKate was in the kitchen cooking dinner.cook foodThe book also gives advice on healthy ways of cooking food.cook rice/pasta/sausages etcCook the pasta for about 8 minutes.adverbscook something gently/slowly (=on a low heat)Reduce the heat and cook gently for 20 minutes.cook something well/thoroughly (=until it has definitely cooked for a long enough time)Beans should always be cooked well.be cooked through (=in the middle as well as on the outside)Fry the fish until golden and cooked through.cook something evenly (=until all of it is equally well cooked )Turn the pie several times to cook it evenly.phrasesbe cooked to perfection (=be cooked exactly the right amount, so it is perfect)All the dishes were cooked to perfection by the French chef. THESAURUSto cook somethingcook to prepare a meal or food for eating by using heatI offered to cook a meal for her.Cook in a hot oven for 25 minutes.make to make a meal or a particular dish by cooking it or getting all the parts readyJohn was making dinner.I think I’ll make a salad for lunch.prepare to make a meal or a particular dish by getting all the parts ready. Prepare is more formal than makeThe children helped to prepare the evening meal.The dish takes a long time to prepare.rustle up /ˈrʌsəl/ informal to cook a meal or dish quickly using whatever is availableShe soon rustled up a tasty soup.fix especially American English to cook or prepare a meal – used about meals you make quicklyWhy don’t you take a nap while I fix dinner?do British English informal to make a particular type of foodI could do you an omelette.I was thinking of doing a fish pie when Michael comes.ways of cooking somethingbake to cook things such as bread or cakes in an ovenTom baked a cake for my birthday.roast to cook meat or vegetables in an ovenRoast the potatoes for an hour.fry to cook food in hot oilShe was frying some mushrooms.stir-fry to fry small pieces of food while moving them around continuouslystir-fried tofu and bean sproutssauté /ˈsəʊteɪ $ soʊˈteɪ/ to fry vegetables for a short time in a small amount of butter or oilSauté the potatoes in butter.grill to cook food over or under strong heatgrilled fishbroil American English to cook food under heatbroiled fishboil to cook something in very hot waterHe doesn’t even know how to boil an egg.English people seem to love boiled vegetables.steam to cook vegetables over hot waterSteam the rice for 15 minutes.poach to cook food, especially fish or eggs, slowly in hot waterpoached salmontoast to cook the outside surfaces of breadtoasted muffinsbarbecue to cook food on a metal frame over a fire outdoorsI thought we could barbecue some mackerel. microwave to cook food in a microwave ovenThe beans can be microwaved. → cook something ↔ up→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
cook• Cover and simmer until the chicken finishes cooking.• Mom always says no when I offer to cook.• I usually cook a big meal on Sundays.• The last time she cooked a meal for us we really enjoyed it.• I'm just too tired to cook after work.• And the three hundred horsepower presumably needed to cook and dry the pulp?• Some Sharp models track the progress of the food as it cooks by assessing the moisture level.• Will you be cooking for yourself, communally or in turns? 4.• I always tried to teach Auguste to cook from Mr Dolby's recipes.• Many people are timid about eating pork cooked less than well-done.• Cover and cook slowly until beets are tender, stirring occasionally.• Do you want me to cook some pasta or something?• In a large sauté pan, cook the bacon until crisp.• Then they killed one of the prisoners and began to cook their terrible meal.• Prick the potatoes with a fork before cooking them.cook somebody something• He decided to cook his parents a special meal for their wedding anniversary.cookcook2 ●●● S2 noun [countable] 1 BODFCsomeone who prepares and cooks food as their job SYN chef He works as a cook in a local restaurant.2 → be a good/wonderful/terrible etc cook3 → too many cooks (spoil the broth) → chief cook and bottle-washer at chief1(3)Examples from the Corpus
cook• Jane used to work as a cook in an Italian restaurant.• She's a cook for one of the airlines.• Frank's a very good cook.• This column takes a look at local cooks, their culinary likes and dislikes and favorite recipes.From Longman Business Dictionarycookcook /kʊk/ verb LAWACCOUNTING cook the books informal to dishonestly change official records and figuresThe health authorities have been accused of cooking the books to give more acceptable waiting list figures.→ See Verb tableOrigin cook2 Old English coc, from Latin coquus, from coquere “to cook” 