I. ˈbāk verb
( baked ; baked -kt ; or archaic bak·en -kən ; baking ; bakes )
Etymology: Middle English baken, from Old English bacan; akin to Old High German bāen to warm, bahhan to bake, Old Norse baka, Greek phōgein to roast
transitive verb
1. : to prepare (as food) by a dry heat either in an oven or on heated metal or stone or under coals
2. : to dry or harden by subjecting to heat
the ground was baked by the hot sun
baked bricks
3. obsolete
a. : to make into a hard or solid mass
b. : to harden by cold
intransitive verb
1. : to prepare food by baking it
2. : to undergo the process of baking
the potatoes were baking in the oven
3. : to be subjected to intense heat
the rocks bake in the desert sun
a sizable audience, baking in a blaze of newsreel and television lights — Truman Capote
Synonyms: see dry
II. noun
( -s )
1. : the action or process of baking : subjection to or preparation by baking
for best results a slow bake at a moderate temperature is essential
2. Scotland : a hard biscuit
3.
a. : a meal or individual dish consisting largely of baked food
a delicious vegetable bake
b. : a social gathering at which a baked specialty is served as the main dish ; especially : clambake
4. : a batch of baked goods : production or total output of baked goods
turning out a huge daily bake of fresh bread