cook

 
Pronunciation: /kʊk/

verb

  • 1 [with object] prepare (food, a dish, or a meal) by mixing, combining, and heating the ingredients: shall I cook dinner tonight? [with two objects]: she cooked me eggs and bacon (as adjective cooked) a cooked breakfast
  • [no object] (of food) be heated so that the state required for eating is reached: while the rice is cooking, add the saffron to the stock
  • (cook something down) heat food and cause it to thicken and reduce in volume: cooking down the chutney can take up to 45 minutes
  • 2 [with object] informal alter dishonestly; falsify: a narcotics team who cooked the evidence
  • (be cooked) be in an inescapably bad situation: if I can’t talk to him I’m cooked
  • 3 [no object] (be cooking) informal be happening or planned: what’s cooking on the alternative fuels front?
  • 4 [no object] North American informal perform or proceed vigorously or very well: the band used to get up on the bandstand and really cook

noun

  • a person who prepares and cooks food, especially as a job or in a specified way: Susan was a school cook I’m a good cook

Phrases

cook the books

informal alter facts or figures dishonestly or illegally: he was an accountant, he could have cooked the books and made himself a lot more money

cook someone's goose

informal spoil someone’s plans; cause someone’s downfall: I’ve got enough on you to cook your goose

too many cooks spoil the broth

proverb if too many people are involved in a task or activity, it will not be done well.

Phrasal Verbs

cook something up

concoct a clever or devious story, excuse, or plan: I’ve had plenty of time to cook up an outlandish conspiracy theory

Derivatives

cookable

adjective

Origin:

Old English cōc (noun), from popular Latin cocus, from Latin coquus