1
: a person who prepares food for eating
2
: a technical or industrial process comparable to cooking food
also
: a substance so processed
cooked; cooking; cooks
1
: to prepare (food) for eating by a heating process
Cook the vegetables over low heat for 10 minutes.
The fish was cooked in a wine sauce.
He cooked dinner for his guests.
3
: to alter (something, such as records) with the intention of deceiving or misleading : falsify, doctor
The point is that every country's numbers are the result of a specific set of testing and accounting regimes. Everyone is cooking the data, one way or another.—
Alexis C. Madrigal
see also cook the books
Alexis C. Madrigal4
: to subject (something) to the action of heat or fire during preparation
Agents discovered a recipe for cooking meth at his lab …—Andrew E. Serwer
Andrew E. Serwer1
: to prepare food for eating especially by means of heat
We're too busy to cook tonight.
I enjoy cooking for friends.
2
: to undergo the action of being cooked
The rice is cooking now.
4
: to perform, do, or proceed well
The jazz quartet was cooking along.
The party cooked right through the night.
Synonyms
Examples of cook in a Sentence
Noun
the hearty meals prepared by the cook at summer camp
Verb
Cook the onions over low heat.
She cooked a great meal.
The fish was cooked in a white wine sauce.
Carrots can be cooked, but they are often eaten raw.
We're too busy to cook at home.
He enjoys cooking on the weekends.
The rice is still cooking, but it will be ready in 10 minutes.
There's something cooking, but he won't say what.
Recent Examples on the Web
Maggie Horton, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Soon, Philipp was promoted to serve as the magistrate of a town nearby, and the Grimms moved into a stately home staffed with maids, a cook, and a coachman.
—Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
Claudia Alexander, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Add the chicken, if using. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes more.
—Kelly Brant, arkansasonline.com, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cook 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Noun
The New Lego Flowers Kit Is a Christmas-Ready Poinsettia Pot That Doubles as Holiday Decor
Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Le Creuset’s signature Dutch ovens are an investment that many home cooks stand by.
—Maggie Horton, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Soon, Philipp was promoted to serve as the magistrate of a town nearby, and the Grimms moved into a stately home staffed with maids, a cook, and a coachman.
—Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
Claudia Alexander, a resident of Marin County, has been happily cooking for family and friends for more than three decades.
—Claudia Alexander, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Add the chicken, if using. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes more.
—Kelly Brant, arkansasonline.com, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cook
Dictionary Entries Near cook
Cite this Entry
“Cook.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cook. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cook
1 of 2 noun
: one who prepares food for eating
cook
2 of 2 verb1
: to prepare food for eating especially by the use of heat
2
: to go through the process of being cooked
the rice is cooking now
3
a
: to think up
cook up a scheme
b
: to go on : happen
what's cooking
Biographical Definition
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