cook

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cook [verb]
US /kʊk/ 
UK /kʊk/ 
Example: 

Do you ​prefer cooking with ​electricity or ​gas?

Oxford Essential Dictionary

cook

 noun
a person who cooks:
She works as a cook in a big hotel.
He is a good cook.

 verb (cooks, cooking, cooked )
to make food ready to eat by heating it:
My father cooked the dinner.
I am learning to cook.

>> cooked adjective:
cooked chicken

word building
There are many ways to cook food. You can bake bread and cakes and you can roast meat in an oven. You can boil vegetables in a saucepan. You can fry fish, eggs, etc. in a frying pan.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

Cook

I. Cook, Captain James BrE AmE
(1728–79) a British sailor and ↑explorer who sailed to Australia and New Zealand, and claimed the eastern coast of Australia for Britain. He also discovered several islands in the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii, where he was killed.
II. Cook, Peter BrE AmE
(1937–95) a British ↑comedian, who had a great influence on British ↑comedy and who is known especially for making humorous television programmes with Dudley Moore, with whom he first appeared in Beyond the Fringe when they were both at university. He also owned the humorous magazine Private Eye.
III. Cook, Robin BrE AmE
(1946–2005) a British politician in the Labour Party, who was Foreign Secretary (=the minister in charge of the UK's relations with other countries) from 1997 to 2001. He was leader of the House of Commons from 2001 to 2003 until he ↑resigned because he did not support the government's decision to go to war with Iraq.
 

cook

I. cook1 S1 W3 /kʊk/ BrE AmE verb
[Word Family: noun: ↑cook, ↑cooker, ↑cookery, ↑cooking; adjective: cooked ≠ ↑uncooked, overcooked ≠ UNDERCOOKED, ↑cooking; verb: ↑cook, ↑overcook ≠ UNDERCOOK]
1. [intransitive and transitive] 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 breakfast
2. [intransitive] to be prepared for eating by using heat:
He could smell something delicious cooking.
Hamburgers were cooking in the kitchen.
3. cook the books to dishonestly change official records and figures in order to steal money or give people false information:
The Government was cooking the books and misleading the public.
4. be cooking informal to be being planned in a secret way:
They’ve got something cooking, and I don’t think I like it.
5. be cooking (with gas) spoken used to say that someone is doing something very well:
The band’s really cooking tonight.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ nouns
cook a meal Shall I cook the meal tonight?
cook breakfast/lunch/dinner Kate was in the kitchen cooking dinner.
cook food The book also gives advice on healthy ways of cooking food.
cook rice/pasta/sausages etc Cook the pasta for about 8 minutes.
■ adverbs
cook 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.
■ phrases
be cooked to perfection (=be cooked exactly the right amount, so it is perfect) All the dishes were cooked to perfection by the French chef.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ to cook something
cook to prepare a meal or food for eating by using heat: I 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 ready: John 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 make: The 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 available: She soon rustled up a tasty soup.
fix especially American English to cook or prepare a meal – used about meals you make quickly: Why don’t you take a nap while I fix dinner?
do British English informal to make a particular type of food: I could do you an omelette. | I was thinking of doing a fish pie when Michael comes.
■ ways of cooking something
bake to cook things such as bread or cakes in an oven: Tom baked a cake for my birthday.
roast to cook meat or vegetables in an oven: Roast the potatoes for an hour.
fry to cook food in hot oil: She was frying some mushrooms.
stir-fry to fry small pieces of food while moving them around continuously: stir-fried tofu and bean sprouts
sauté /ˈsəʊteɪ $ soʊˈteɪ/ to fry vegetables for a short time in a small amount of butter or oil: Sauté the potatoes in butter.
grill to cook food over or under strong heat: grilled fish
broil American English to cook food under heat: broiled fish
boil to cook something in very hot water: He doesn’t even know how to boil an egg. | English people seem to love boiled vegetables.
steam to cook vegetables over hot water: Steam the rice for 15 minutes.
poach to cook food, especially fish or eggs, slowly in hot water: poached salmon
toast to cook the outside surfaces of bread: toasted muffins
barbecue to cook food on a metal frame over a fire outdoors: I thought we could barbecue some mackerel.
microwave to cook food in a microwave oven: The beans can be microwaved.
cook something ↔ up phrasal verb
1. to prepare food, especially quickly:
Every night he cooked up a big casserole.
2. informal to invent an excuse, reason, plan etc, especially one that is slightly dishonest or unlikely to work:
the plan that Graham and Dempster had cooked up
II. cook2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: ↑cook, ↑cooker, ↑cookery, ↑cooking; adjective: cooked ≠ ↑uncooked, overcooked ≠ UNDERCOOKED, ↑cooking; verb: ↑cook, ↑overcook ≠ UNDERCOOK]
[Language: Old English; Origin: coc, from Latin coquus, from coquere 'to cook']
1. someone 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 cook to be good or bad at preparing and cooking food
3. too many cooks (spoil the broth) used when you think there are too many people trying to do the same job at the same time, so that the job is not done well
chief cook and bottle-washer at ↑chief1(3)

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

cook

cook [cook cooks cooked cooking] verb, noun   [kʊk]    [kʊk] 

 

verb
1. intransitive, transitive to prepare food by heating it, for example by boiling, baking or frying it
Where did you learn to cook?
~ sth What's the best way to cook trout?
Who's going to cook supper?
Add the onion and cook for three minutes.
• He cooked lunch for me.

~ sb sth He cooked me lunch.

2. intransitive (of food) to be prepared by boiling, baking, frying, etc

• While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce.

3. intransitive be cooking (informal) to be planned secretly
Everyone is being very secretive— there's something cooking.
 
Word Origin:
Old English cōc (noun), from popular Latin cocus, from Latin coquus.  
Thesaurus:
cook verb T, I
There are various ways to cook fish.
makebakeroasttoastfrygrillbarbecue|AmE broil|especially AmE fix|especially spoken get|especially written prepare
cook/make/fix/get/prepare breakfast/lunch/dinner
cook/roast/fry/grill/barbecue/broil/prepare chicken
cook/bake/roast/fry potatoes  
Collocations:
Cooking
Preparing
prepare a dish/a meal/a menu/dinner/the fish
weigh out 100g/4oz of sugar/the ingredients
wash/rinse the lettuce/spinach/watercress
chop/slice/dice the carrots/onions/potatoes
peel the carrots/onion/potatoes/garlic/orange
grate a carrot/the cheese/some nutmeg
remove/discard the bones/seeds/skin
blend/combine/mix (together) the flour and water/all the ingredients
beat/whisk the cream/eggs/egg whites
knead/shape/roll (out) the dough
Cooking
heat the oil in a frying pan
preheat/heat the oven/(BrE) the grill/(NAmE) the broiler
bring to (BrE) the boil/(NAmE) a boil
stir constantly/gently with a wooden spoon
reduce the heat
simmer gently for 20 minutes/until reduced by half
melt the butter/chocolate/cheese/sugar
brown the meat for 8-20 minutes
drain the pasta/the water from the pot/in a colander
mash the potatoes/banana/avocado
Ways of cooking
cook food/fish/meat/rice/pasta/a Persian dish
bake (a loaf of) bread/a cake/(especially NAmE) cookies/(BrE) biscuits/a pie/potatoes/fish/scones/muffins
boil cabbage/potatoes/an egg/water
fry/deep-fry/stir-fry the chicken/vegetables
grill meat/steak/chicken/sausages/a hot dog
roast potatoes/peppers/meat/chicken/lamb
sauté garlic/mushrooms/onions/potatoes/vegetables
steam rice/vegetables/spinach/asparagus/dumplings
toast bread/nuts
microwave food/popcorn/(BrE) a ready meal
Serving
serve in a glass/on a bed of rice/with potatoes
arrange the slices on a plate/in a layer
carve the meat/lamb/chicken/turkey
dress/toss a salad
dress with/drizzle with olive oil/vinaigrette
top with a slice of lemon/a scoop of ice cream/whipped cream/syrup
garnish with a sprig of parsley/fresh basil leaves/lemon wedges/a slice of lime/a twist of orange
sprinkle with salt/sugar/herbs/parsley/freshly ground black pepper 
Example Bank:
Ensure that the meat is cooked through.
I'll cook you a special meal for your birthday.
Make sure you cook the meat well.
The vegetables were cooked perfectly.
Turn the fish over so that it cooks evenly.
the smell of freshly cooked bacon
What's the best way to cook trout?
Who's going to cook supper?
Idioms: cook somebody's goose  cook the books  cooking with gas  too many cooks spoil the broth

Derived: cook something up 

noun
a person who cooks food or whose job is cooking
John is a very good cook (= he cooks well).
Who was the cook (= who cooked the food)?
She was employed as a cook in a hotel.
compare  chef  
Word Origin:
Old English cōc (noun), from popular Latin cocus, from Latin coquus.  
Example Bank:
He's a very good cook.
• She wants to become a professional cook.

• easy recipes for home cooks

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

cook

cook (CHANGE) /kʊk/
verb [T] INFORMAL
to change evidence, written facts or records in order to deceive people

cook (HEAT) /kʊk/
verb [I or T]
When you cook food, you prepare it to be eaten by heating it in a particular way, such as baking or boiling, and when food cooks, it is heated until it is ready to eat:
I don't cook meat very often.
[+ two objects] He cooked us an enormous meal./He cooked an enormous meal for us.
Let the fish cook for half an hour before you add the wine.

cook /kʊk/
noun [C]
someone who prepares and cooks food:
She's a wonderful cook.

cooked /kʊkt/
adjective
not raw:
cooked meat/vegetables
Is that cake cooked properly in the middle?

cooker /ˈkʊk.əʳ/ US /-ɚ/
noun [C]
1 MAINLY UK (US stove) a large box-shaped device which is used to cook and heat food either by putting the food inside or by putting it on the top:
a gas/electric cooker

2 UK INFORMAL a cooking apple

cookery /ˈkʊk.ər.i/ US /-ɚ-/
noun [U] UK
the skill or activity of preparing and cooking food:
cookery classes
cookery books

cooking /ˈkʊk.ɪŋ/
noun [U]
preparing or cooking food:
My mother always hated cooking.
Who does the cooking in your house?
I love my dad's cooking (= the food that he cooks).

cooking /ˈkʊk.ɪŋ/
adjective [before noun]
suitable for cooking with:
cooking apples
cooking oil

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

cook

/kʊk/
(cooks, cooking, cooked)

Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.

1.
When you cook a meal, you prepare food for eating by heating it.
I have to go and cook the dinner...
Chefs at the St James Court restaurant have cooked for the Queen...
We’ll cook them a nice Italian meal.
VERB: V n, V, V n n
cook‧ing
Her hobbies include music, dancing, sport and cooking.
N-UNCOUNT

2.
When you cook food, or when food cooks, it is heated until it is ready to be eaten.
...some basic instructions on how to cook a turkey...
Let the vegetables cook gently for about 10 minutes...
Drain the pasta as soon as it is cooked.
VERB: V n, V, V-ed

3.
A cook is a person whose job is to prepare and cook food, especially in someone’s home or in an institution.
They had a butler, a cook, and a maid.
= chef
N-COUNT

4.
If you say that someone is a good cook, you mean they are good at preparing and cooking food.
N-COUNT: adj N

5.
If you say that someone has cooked the books, you mean that they have changed figures or a written record in order to deceive people. (INFORMAL)
PHRASE: V inflects

6.
see also cooking
 

cook up
1.
If someone cooks up a dishonest scheme, they plan it. (INFORMAL)
He must have cooked up his scheme on the spur of the moment.
PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), also V n P

2.
If someone cooks up an explanation or a story, they make it up. (INFORMAL)
She’ll cook up a convincing explanation.
PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), also V n P