/ kʊk; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
1.
to prepare food by heating it, for example by boiling, baking or frying it :
[ v ]
Where did you learn to cook?
[ vn ]
What's the best way to cook trout?
Who's going to cook supper?
[ vnn , vn ]
He cooked me lunch.
He cooked lunch for me.
2.
[ v ] ( of food ) to be prepared by boiling, baking, frying, etc. :
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce.
3.
[ v ] be cooking ( informal ) to be planned secretly :
Everyone is being very secretive—there's something cooking.
•
IDIOMS
- be cooking with gas
- cook the books
- cook sb's goose
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- cook sth up
■ noun
a person who cooks food or whose job is cooking :
John is a very good cook (= he cooks well) .
Who was the cook (= who cooked the food) ?
She was employed as a cook in a hotel.
—compare chef
•
IDIOMS
- too many cooks spoil the broth
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English cōc (noun), from popular Latin cocus , from Latin coquus .