WOK

noun (Lifestyle and Leisure) A bowl-shaped pan used in Chinese cookery, especially for stir-fry dishes. Etymology: A direct borrowing from Cantonese. History and Usage: The wok (and the Chinese cooking for which it is used) enjoyed a vogue in the Western world in the late seventies and early eighties and by the end of the eighties the wok had come to be regarded as a standard piece of kitchen equipment. Fry the peanuts in the oil in a large saucepan or wok for 4-5 minutes, until lightly browned. Green Cuisine Feb./Mar. 1987, p. 24 'Where would you put it?' Vic inquires, looking round at the kitchen surfaces already cluttered with numerous electrical appliances--toaster, kettle, coffee-maker, food-processor, electric wok, chip-fryer, waffle-maker...'I thought we could put the electric wok away. We never use it. A microwave would be more useful.' David Lodge Nice Work (1988), p. 10