cooking

1 of 3

present participle of cook entry 2

cooking

2 of 3

noun

cook·​ing ˈku̇-kiŋ 

1

a

: the act of preparing food for eating especially by heating : the act of cooking food

I do most of the cooking for our family.

b

: a manner of preparing food : cuisine

a technique used in French cooking

2

: food that is cooked

Do you like my cooking?

see also home cooking

cooking

3 of 3

adjective

: suitable or used for cooking

bought some cooking apples

cooking techniques

Cooking time is about 30 minutes.

Examples of cooking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The reality is that precision in cooking has often been elusive. —Matt Emma, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025

Besides its many uses in cooking, a lavender plant adds fragrance and color wherever it's planted—along a path, beside a patio, or in a pot on your back deck—thanks to a long blooming season. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 11 Sep. 2025

Adjective

For even more cooking inspiration, the Ninja Foodi Deluxe comes with a guide filled with 45 recipes, so, really, anyone in the family could turn themselves into a master chef. —Kylee McGuigan, Popular Mechanics, 15 Nov. 2022

This was pre-cooking show on every network constantly. —Alicia Kennedy, Harper's BAZAAR, 14 Nov. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1791, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cooking

• be cooking
• cooking spray
• home cooking
• Now you're cooking

Rhymes for cooking

• booking
• brooking
• hooking
• looking
• overlooking