cooking

1 of 3

present participle of cook entry 2

cooking

2 of 3

noun

cook·​ing ˈku̇-kiŋ 

1

a

: the act of preparing food for eating especially by heating : the act of cooking food

I do most of the cooking for our family.

b

: a manner of preparing food : cuisine

a technique used in French cooking

2

: food that is cooked

Do you like my cooking?

see also home cooking

cooking

3 of 3

adjective

: suitable or used for cooking

bought some cooking apples

cooking techniques

Cooking time is about 30 minutes.

Examples of cooking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Adler and his wife-cum-business partner, Rachel Jackson, who together own the group RAD Restaurants, have graced three establishments with variations on Aronow’s name, all of them devoted to a sort of modern version of Ashkenazi American cooking. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026

Small and large plates highlighting tandoor cooking, chaat and even seafood, covering a variety of Indian regional cuisine, rather than focusing solely on the curries and breads of Northern India commonly found in American restaurants. — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026

Adjective

On the more affordable end, Organic Tuscany runs weeklong hands-on classes at a 19th-century villa in central Tuscany for roughly $2,000 to $3,000 per person, with separate pricing for cooking and non-cooking guests. — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 10 June 2026

The week runs around $2,000 to $3,000 per person, with pricing options for both cooking and non-cooking guests. — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1791, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cooking

• be cooking
• cooking spray
• home cooking
• Now you're cooking

Rhymes for cooking

• booking
• brooking
• hooking
• looking
• overlooking