v. & n.
v. 1 tr. prepare (food) by heating it. 2 intr. (of food) undergo cooking. 3 tr. colloq. falsify (accounts etc.); alter to produce a desired result. 4 tr. sl. ruin, spoil. 5 tr. (esp. as cooked adj.) Brit. sl. fatigue, exhaust. 6 tr. & intr. US colloq. do or proceed successfully. 7 intr. (as be cooking) colloq. be happening or about to happen (went to find out what was cooking).
n. a person who cooks, esp. professionally or in a specified way (a good cook). cook-chill 1 the process of cooking and refrigerating food ready for reheating at a later time. 2 (attrib.) (of food) prepared in this way. cook a person's goose ruin a person's chances. cook up colloq. invent or concoct (a story, excuse, etc.). cookable adj. & n.
[ OE coc f. pop.L cocus for L coquus ]