Standard Lemma guide

bake

noun · verb · 20 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /beɪk/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /bæɪk/
  • Scotland: /bek/
  • Wales: /beːk/ without the pane–pain merger
  • rhymes with -eɪk
  • CMU ARPABET: B EY1 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of cooking food by baking.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any of various baked dishes resembling casserole.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Australia, New-Zealand, UK, especially

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Any food item that is baked, such as a pastry.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • bake pan

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A social event at which food (such as seafood) is baked, or at which baked food is served.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US

Examples

  • an oyster bake on the shore

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A small, flat (or ball-shaped) cake of dough eaten mainly in Barbados, similar in appearance and ingredients to a pancake but fried (or sometimes roasted).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Barbados, UK, US, sometimes

Examples

  • For quotations using this term, see Citations:bake.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To cook using an oven, especially baked goods.

To cook (something) in an oven (for someone).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ditransitive, intransitive, transitive

Examples

  • I baked a delicious cherry pie.
  • She's been baking all day to prepare for the dinner.
  • He baked her a cake.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To cook using an oven, especially baked goods.

To be cooked in an oven.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The cake baked at 350°F.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To cook using an oven, especially baked goods.

To regularly prepare baked goods.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • In some cultures, it is expected that a proper housewife should bake.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To cook using an oven, especially baked goods.

To incorporate into something greater.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To heat or dry.

To be warmed to drying and hardening.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The clay baked in the sun.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fire

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To heat or dry.

To dry by heat.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • They baked the electrical parts lightly to remove moisture.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To heat or dry.

To be hot.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, intransitive

Examples

  • It is baking in the greenhouse.
  • I'm baking after that workout in the gym.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To heat or dry.

To cause to be hot.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To harden by cold.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

To harden by cold.

To smoke marijuana.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, intransitive, obsolete, slang, transitive

Examples

  • (Let's bake tonight.)

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

16

verb

Meaning 16

To fix (lighting, reflections, etc.) as part of the texture of an object to improve rendering performance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: computer-graphics, computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

17

verb

Meaning 17

cook and make edible by putting in a hot oven

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • bake the potatoes

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cook

Narrower terms: ovenbake, fire, shirr

18

verb

Meaning 18

heat by a natural force

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The sun broils the valley in the summer

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: broil

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: heat, heat up

19

verb

Meaning 19

prepare with dry heat in an oven

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • bake a cake

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: create from raw material, create from raw stuff

20

verb

Meaning 20

be very hot, due to hot weather or exposure to the sun

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The town was broiling in the sun
  • the tourists were baking in the heat

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: broil

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: be

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bheh3g- Proto-Indo-European *bhh3g- Proto-Germanic *bakaną Proto-West Germanic *bakan Old English bacan Middle English baken English bake From Middle English baken, from Old English bacan (“to bake”), from Proto-West Germanic *bakan, from Proto-Germanic *bakaną (“to bake”), from Proto-Indo-European *bheh3g- (“to roast, bake”). Cognate with West Frisian bakke (“to bake”), Dutch bakken (“to bake”), Low German backen (“to bake”), German backen (“to bake”), Norwegian Bokmål bake (“to bake”), Danish bage (“to bake”), Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish baka (“to bake”), Ancient Greek φώγω (phṓgō, “roast”, verb).

Across languages

Translations

196 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: خَبز — act of baking
  • Finnish: paistaminen — act of baking
  • Finnish: leivonta — act of baking
  • Finnish: leipominen — act of baking
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bakst — act of baking
  • Russian: выпека́ние (vypekánije) — act of baking
  • Russian: запека́ние (zapekánije) — act of baking
  • Finnish: laatikko — baked dish resembling casserole
  • Albanian: pjek — to cook in an oven
  • Southern Altai: быжырар (bïžïrar) — to cook in an oven
  • Southern Altai: быжар (bïžar) — to cook in an oven
  • Amharic: ጋገረ (gagärä) — to cook in an oven
  • Andi: бежиду (bežidu) — to cook in an oven
  • Arabic: خَبَزَ (ḵabaza) — to cook in an oven
  • Arabic: خبز (ḵabaz) — to cook in an oven
  • Argobba: ጋገራ (gāgärā) — to cook in an oven
  • Armenian: թխել (tʻxel) — to cook in an oven
  • Aromanian: coc — to cook in an oven
  • Assamese: সেকা (xeka) — to cook in an oven
  • Avar: бежизе (bežize) — to cook in an oven
  • Azerbaijani: bişirmək — to cook in an oven
  • Basque: labekatu — to cook in an oven
  • Belarusian: пячы́ (pjačý) — to cook in an oven
  • Belarusian: спячы́ (spjačý) — to cook in an oven
  • Belarusian: запяка́ць (zapjakácʹ) — to cook in an oven
  • Belarusian: запячы́ (zapjačý) — to cook in an oven
  • Belarusian: упяка́ць (upjakácʹ) — to cook in an oven
  • Belarusian: упячы́ (upjačý) — to cook in an oven
  • Belizean Creole: bayk — to cook in an oven
  • Bengali: সেকা (śeka) — to cook in an oven
  • Bulgarian: пека́ (peká) — to cook in an oven
  • Burmese: ဖုတ် (hput) — to cook in an oven
  • Catalan: fornejar — to cook in an oven
  • Cherokee: ᎦᏚᎲᏍᎦ (gaduhvsga) — to cook in an oven
  • Chickasaw: paska — to cook in an oven
  • Chinese Cantonese: 焗 (guk6) — to cook in an oven
  • Chinese Mandarin: 烤 (kǎo) — to cook in an oven
  • Chinese Mandarin: 烘 (hōng) — to cook in an oven
  • Chinese Mandarin: 焙燒 /焙烧 (bèishāo) — to cook in an oven
  • Chinese Mandarin: 烘烤 (hōngkǎo) — to cook in an oven
  • Czech: péci — to cook in an oven
  • Czech: péct — to cook in an oven
  • Danish: bage — to cook in an oven
  • Dutch: bakken — to cook in an oven
  • Esperanto: baki — to cook in an oven
  • Estonian: küpsetama — to cook in an oven
  • Finnish: paistaa — to cook in an oven
  • Finnish: paistaa uunissa — to cook in an oven
  • Finnish: leipoa — to cook in an oven
  • French: cuire — to cook in an oven
  • North Frisian: baag — to cook in an oven
  • North Frisian: bååge — to cook in an oven
  • North Frisian: baak — to cook in an oven
  • North Frisian: bak — to cook in an oven
  • Saterland Frisian: boake — to cook in an oven
  • West-Frisian: bakke — to cook in an oven
  • Galician: cocer — to cook in an oven
  • Galician: asar — to cook in an oven
  • Georgian: აცხობს (acxobs) — to cook in an oven
  • Georgian: გამოაცხობს (gamoacxobs) — to cook in an oven
  • German: backen — to cook in an oven
  • Greek: ψήνω (psíno) — to cook in an oven
  • Ancient Greek: ὀπτάω (optáō) — to cook in an oven
  • Hawaiian: hoʻomoʻa — to cook in an oven
  • Hawaiian: hoʻoʻoma — to cook in an oven
  • Hebrew: אָפָה (afá) — to cook in an oven
  • Hindi: सेंकना (sẽknā) — to cook in an oven
  • Hungarian: süt — to cook in an oven
  • Icelandic: baka — to cook in an oven
  • Icelandic: seyða — to cook in an oven
  • Irish: bácáil — to cook in an oven
  • Italian: cuocere (al forno) — to cook in an oven
  • Italian: infornare — to cook in an oven
  • Japanese: 焼く (yaku) — to cook in an oven
  • Kazakh: пісіру (pısıru) — to cook in an oven
  • Khmer: អាំង (ʼang) — to cook in an oven
  • Korean: 굽다 (gupda) — to cook in an oven
  • Kyrgyz: бышуу (bışuu) — to cook in an oven
  • Kyrgyz: бышыруу (bışıruu) — to cook in an oven
  • Lao: ອົບ (ʼop) — to cook in an oven
  • Latgalian: cept — to cook in an oven
  • Latin: torreō — to cook in an oven
  • Latvian: cept — to cook in an oven
  • Lithuanian: kepti — to cook in an oven
  • Macedonian: пече (peče) — to cook in an oven
  • Malay: bakar — to cook in an oven
  • Maori: tunu — to cook in an oven
  • Maori: tao — to cook in an oven
  • Mongolian: жигнэх (žignex) — to cook in an oven
  • Classical Nahuatl: ixca — to cook in an oven
  • Norman: fouângner — to cook in an oven
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bake — to cook in an oven
  • Occitan: fornejar — to cook in an oven
  • Church Slavic: пещи (pešti) — to cook in an oven
  • Old English: bacan — to cook in an oven
  • Persian: پختن (poxtan) — to cook in an oven
  • Polish: piec — to cook in an oven
  • Portuguese: assar — to cook in an oven
  • Quechua: watyay — to cook in an oven
  • Rarotongan: tunu — to cook in an oven
  • Rarotongan: tunu paka — to cook in an oven
  • Rarotongan: taʻu — to cook in an oven
  • Rarotongan: tao — to cook in an oven
  • Romanian: coace — to cook in an oven
  • Russian: печь (pečʹ) — to cook in an oven
  • Russian: испе́чь (ispéčʹ) — to cook in an oven
  • Russian: выпека́ть (vypekátʹ) — to cook in an oven
  • Russian: вы́печь (výpečʹ) — to cook in an oven
  • Russian: упека́ть (upekátʹ) — to cook in an oven
  • Russian: упе́чь (upéčʹ) — to cook in an oven
  • Russian: обжига́ть (obžigátʹ) — to cook in an oven
  • Russian: обже́чь (obžéčʹ) — to cook in an oven
  • Northern Sami: bassit — to cook in an oven
  • Northern Sami: láibut — to cook in an oven
  • Samoan: tao — to cook in an oven
  • Sanskrit: पचति (pacati) — to cook in an oven
  • Sardinian: infurrare — to cook in an oven
  • Serbo-Croatian: пе̏ћи — to cook in an oven
  • Serbo-Croatian: pȅći — to cook in an oven
  • Sicilian: nfurnari — to cook in an oven
  • Slovak: piecť — to cook in an oven
  • Slovene: peči — to cook in an oven
  • Lower Sorbian: pjac — to cook in an oven
  • Spanish: hornear — to cook in an oven
  • Spanish: enhornar — to cook in an oven
  • Swedish: baka — to cook in an oven
  • Tagalog: salang — to cook in an oven
  • Tahitian: tunu — to cook in an oven
  • Tahitian: ʻeu — to cook in an oven
  • Tajik: пухтан (puxtan) — to cook in an oven
  • Tetum: tunu — to cook in an oven
  • Thai: อบ (òp) — to cook in an oven
  • Turkish: fırınlamak — to cook in an oven
  • Turkish: fırında pişirmek — to cook in an oven
  • Ukrainian: пекти́ (pektý) — to cook in an oven
  • Ukrainian: випіка́ти (vypikáty) — to cook in an oven
  • Urdu: پکانا — to cook in an oven
  • Uzbek: pishirmoq — to cook in an oven
  • Venetan: còxer — to cook in an oven
  • Venetan: cóxar — to cook in an oven
  • Venetan: cósar — to cook in an oven
  • Vietnamese: nướng — to cook in an oven
  • Vilamovian: bröta — to cook in an oven
  • Volapük: bakön — to cook in an oven
  • Walloon: cure — to cook in an oven
  • Welsh: pobi — to cook in an oven
  • Welsh: crasu — to cook in an oven
  • Yiddish: באַקן (bakn) — to cook in an oven
  • Yiddish: אויסבאַקן (oysbakn) — to cook in an oven
  • Assamese: সেকা (xeka) — to dry by heat
  • Bulgarian: суша на слънце (suša na slǎnce) — to dry by heat
  • Danish: tørre — to dry by heat
  • Dutch: bakken — to dry by heat
  • Esperanto: baki — to dry by heat
  • Finnish: kuivata lämmöllä — to dry by heat
  • German: trocknen — to dry by heat
  • Hindi: सुखाना (sukhānā) — to dry by heat
  • Hungarian: pörköl — to dry by heat
  • Hungarian: szárít — to dry by heat
  • Italian: cuocere — to dry by heat
  • Japanese: 焼く (yaku) — to dry by heat
  • Malay: jemur — to dry by heat
  • Malay: bakar — to dry by heat
  • Maori: paka — to dry by heat
  • Maori: pākā — to dry by heat
  • Polish: wypalać — to dry by heat
  • Portuguese: secar no calor — to dry by heat
  • Russian: суши́ть (sušítʹ) — to dry by heat
  • Russian: вы́сушить (výsušitʹ) — to dry by heat
  • Sicilian: còciri — to dry by heat
  • Sicilian: scaudiari — to dry by heat
  • Sicilian: scuadiari — to dry by heat
  • Turkish: kurutmak — to dry by heat
  • Zazaki: wışk kerden — to dry by heat
  • Dutch: bakken — to be hot
  • Esperanto: bakvarmi — to be hot
  • Finnish: hehkua — to be hot
  • Greek: ψήνομαι (psínomai) — to be hot
  • Hungarian: megsül — to be hot
  • Zazaki: germ kerden — to be hot
  • Bulgarian: изпичам се (izpičam se) — to become baked
  • Danish: bage — to become baked
  • Dutch: bakken — to become baked
  • Esperanto: bakiĝi — to become baked
  • Finnish: paistua — to become baked
  • Finnish: leipoutua — to become baked
  • Greek: ψήνομαι (psínomai) — to become baked
  • Hungarian: sül — to become baked
  • Italian: cuocersi — to become baked
  • Italian: infornare — to become baked
  • Japanese: 焼ける (yakeru) — to become baked
  • Persian: پختن (poxtan) — to become baked
  • Russian: пе́чься (péčʹsja) — to become baked
  • Russian: испе́чься (ispéčʹsja) — to become baked
  • Swedish: bakas — to become baked
  • Zazaki: fırun nayen — to become baked