pressure cooker

noun

1

: an airtight utensil for quick cooking or preserving of foods by means of high-temperature steam under pressure

2

: a situation or environment that is fraught with emotional or social pressures

pressure-cook verb

Examples of pressure cooker in a Sentence

The new boss has turned the office into a pressure cooker.

Recent Examples on the Web

No illnesses have been reported from the tomato recall but there have been 106 reports of burn injuries from the pressure cookers. —Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 6 May 2025

Any owners of the pressure cooker are being asked to stop using them immediately and contact SharkNinja for a free lid replacement, the CPSC said. —Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 2 May 2025

Customers are directed to stop using the pressure cooker function immediately and contact the manufacturer for a replacement lid. —Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 2 May 2025

The pressure cooker's lid can be opened while in use, allowing hot contents to escape, posing a burn risk to consumers, the recall notice said. —Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 1 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pressure cooker

• booker
• looker
• rooker
• snooker
• onlooker

Kids Definition

pressure cooker

noun

: a utensil for cooking or preserving foods by means of steam under pressure

pressure-cook

ˌpresh-ər-ˈku̇k

verb