cook
A1Neutral (used across all registers from informal to technical contexts).
Definition
Meaning
To prepare food for eating by applying heat.
To heat or process any substance; to alter or falsify something (e.g., accounts); to be happening or planned (slang: 'What's cooking?'); to perform well under pressure (sports slang).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a verb of creation/transformation. As a noun, it typically refers to a person, not the activity (which is 'cooking').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor differences in usage of the noun: 'cook' (person) is equally common. 'Cooker' in BrE refers to the appliance, whereas in AmE 'stove' or 'range' is more common for the same appliance.
Connotations
Similar core connotations. The phrase 'chief cook and bottle-washer' (person doing all the work) is more common in BrE.
Frequency
The verb is equally high-frequency. The idiom 'to cook the books' (falsify accounts) is slightly more frequent in AmE business contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[S] cook (I) - 'She cooks.'[S] cook [O] - 'He cooks pasta.'[S] cook [O] for [IO] - 'I cooked a cake for her.'[S] cook [O] [A] - 'Cook the chicken slowly.'Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Cook the books”
- “What's cooking?”
- “Too many cooks spoil the broth”
- “Cook someone's goose”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'The accountant was caught cooking the books.' (falsifying records)
Academic
'The researcher had to cook the samples at 200°C for one hour.'
Everyday
'I need to cook lasagne for the party tonight.'
Technical
'The chemical mixture must be cooked at a precise temperature to catalyze the reaction.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Could you cook the tea tonight?
- He's learning to cook proper Sunday roasts.
- Let the pie cook for 40 minutes in a moderately hot oven.
American English
- Can you cook dinner tonight?
- She's learning to cook Thanksgiving turkey.
- Let the casserole cook for 40 minutes at 375 degrees.
adverb
British English
- It's best eaten cook. (Rare/Non-standard)
- Serve the vegetables hot or cook. (Rare/Non-standard)
American English
- Eat it cook. (Rare/Non-standard)
- She likes her steak more cook than I do. (Rare/Non-standard)
adjective
British English
- This chicken is not cook; it's still raw. (Rare/Non-standard)
- The cook-chill meals are in the freezer section. (Technical compound)
American English
- Make sure the meat is fully cook before serving. (Rare/Non-standard)
- The cook-from-frozen instructions are on the box. (Technical compound)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My father cooks breakfast every day.
- Can you cook an egg?
- She is a cook in a restaurant.
- I love cooking Italian food for my friends.
- You must cook the chicken until the juices run clear.
- Too many cooks in the kitchen makes the work chaotic.
- The new evidence suggests someone has been cooking the company's financial records for years.
- We've got a big project cooking that should launch next quarter.
- The sauce needs to cook down for another twenty minutes to reduce.
- The politician's career was over after the press discovered his aides had cooked the polling data.
- Under the intense scrutiny of the final match, the young quarterback simply cooked, throwing three touchdown passes.
- Certain ceramic glazes are achieved by cooking the piece in a reduction atmosphere.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
A COOK uses a HOOK to get a pan, and always looks at a BOOK (recipe).
Conceptual Metaphor
CREATING/TRANSFORMING IS COOKING (e.g., 'The scheme is cooking.'), FALSIFYING IS COOKING (e.g., 'cook the books').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'cook' for the activity itself; use 'cooking'. 'Cooking is my hobby' NOT 'Cook is my hobby'.
- Do not confuse 'cook' (person/verb) with 'cooker' (appliance in BrE).
- The Russian verb 'варить' is more specific (boil), whereas 'cook' is general.
Common Mistakes
- *I am cook a pizza. (Correct: I am cooking a pizza.)
- *She is a very good cooker. (Correct: She is a very good cook.)
- *The cook of this meal took an hour. (Correct: The cooking of this meal took an hour.)
Practice
Quiz
In British English, what does the word 'cooker' typically refer to?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a regular verb: cook, cooked, cooked.
'Cook' is a general term for someone who prepares food. A 'chef' is a professional, often the head cook in a restaurant. A 'cooker' (mainly BrE) is the appliance (stove/oven).
No, the activity is 'cooking'. The noun 'cook' almost always refers to a person. 'Cooking' is the gerund/verbal noun.
It means to ruin someone's plans or chances of success.
Collections
Part of a collection
Daily Routine
A1 · 50 words · Words for describing your everyday activities and schedule.
Food and Drink
A1 · 49 words · Common words for food, drink and meals.
Food and Cooking
A2 · 50 words · Cooking methods, kitchen tools and recipes.