What does "cooking" mean?
The process of preparing food by using heat.
Cooking
adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·2 syllables ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The process of preparing food by using heat.
- Grammar: cooking is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: cookery, a la mode, baking, barbecuing.
- Useful contrasts: eat raw, overcook, raw.
- Usage evidence: She has improved her skill in cooking recently.
How to use "cooking"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cooking" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cooking" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cooking" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cooking" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cooking" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cookery" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cooking", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The process of preparing food by using heat. uncountable
"The men resided in a huge bunk house, which consisted of one room only, with a shack outside where the cooking was done. In the large room were a dozen bunks; half of them in a very dishevelled state, […]"
- 2 the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat wordnet
- 3 An instance of preparing food by using heat. countable, rare
"In the tiny kitchen a dozen men and a boy tried to hush their breathing, and sweltered. For it was very hot, and the pent-up odor of past cookings was stifling to men used to the open"
- 4 The result of preparing food by using heat.; One's ability to prepare food; cookery. uncountable
"My cooking isn't very good. I don't have any idea how to prepare a good meal."
- 5 The result of preparing food by using heat.; The style or genre of food preparation. uncountable
"What you've produced is a perfect example of authentic Chinese cooking."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 The cheapest available beer for sale in a public house. uncountable
"‘Pint of bitter, please,” said Reggie. ‘Pint of cooking,” said the landlord."
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of cook form-of, gerund, participle, present
Adjective
- 1 Designed or suitable for culinary purposes. not-comparable
"I filled the cooking pot with water."
- 2 In progress, happening. informal, not-comparable
"The project took a few days to gain momentum, but by the end of the week, things were really cooking."
- 3 Cheap; better suited for use in recipes than drinking. not-comparable
"Bone a shoulder of mutton and lay in the following pickle for 24 hours, viz.:…half pint of cooking claret…and long peppers."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"She has improved her skill in cooking recently."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cooking"?
Common synonyms include: cookery, a la mode, baking, barbecuing, boiling, brewing.
How do you use "cooking" in a sentence?
She has improved her skill in cooking recently.
Etymology
From cook + -ing. The noun and adjective follow from the verb. The use of the word cooking to describe cheap bitter was popularized by the title character of the BBC sitcom Oh No, It’s Selwyn Froggitt (1974-1978). It refers to cooking sherry, a kind of sherry used in cooking but not suitable for drinking on its own.