adj · noun · verb · 10 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.
Australian, Received-Pronunciation, US:/ˈkʊkɪŋ/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
British, Southern, Standard:/ˈkɵkɪŋ/
/ˈkuːkɪŋ/some Northern England, especially Northumbria
Northern-Ireland, Scotland:/ˈkʉkɪŋ/
rhymes with -ʊkɪŋ
CMU ARPABET:K UH1 K IH0 NG
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Designed or suitable for culinary purposes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
I filled the cooking pot with water, and poured some cooking sherry into the skillet.
This tree bears cooking apples.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
In progress, happening.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal, not-comparable
Examples
The project took a few days to gain momentum, but by the end of the week, things were really cooking.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Cheap; better suited for use in recipes than drinking.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
The process of preparing food by using heat.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
An instance of preparing food by using heat.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
The result of preparing food by using heat.
One's ability to prepare food; cookery.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Examples
My cooking isn't very good. I don't have any idea how to prepare a good meal.
I missed my mum's cooking while I was at university.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
The result of preparing food by using heat.
The style or genre of food preparation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Examples
What you've produced is a perfect example of authentic Chinese cooking.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
The cheapest available beer for sale in a public house.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
verb
Meaning 9
present participle and gerund of cook
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
noun
Meaning 10
the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat
From cook + -ing. The noun and adjective follow from the verb. The use of the word cooking to describe cheap bitter was popularized by the title character of the BBC sitcom Oh No, It’s Selwyn Froggitt (1974-1978). It refers to cooking sherry, a kind of sherry used in cooking but not suitable for drinking on its own.
Across languages
Translations
99 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
kook
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Akan:
aduane-noa
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Arabic:
طَبْخ
(ṭabḵ)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Basque:
sukaldaritza
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Bengali:
রান্না
(ranna)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Bulgarian:
го́твене
(gótvene)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Chinese Mandarin:
烹調 /烹调
(pēngtiáo)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Chinese Mandarin:
烹飪 /烹饪
(pēngrèn)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Czech:
vaření
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Esperanto:
kuirado
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Ewe:
nuɖaɖa
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Finnish:
keittäminen
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Finnish:
ruoanlaitto
— the process of preparing food by using heat
French:
cuisine
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Galician:
cocemento
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Georgian:
საჭმლის მომზადება
(sač̣mlis momzadeba)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Georgian:
კერძების მომზადება
(ḳerʒebis momzadeba)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
German:
Kochen
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Greek:
μαγειρική
(mageirikí)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Ancient Greek:
μαγειρική
(mageirikḗ)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Ancient Greek:
ὀψοποιία
(opsopoiía)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Hebrew:
בִּשּׁוּל
(bishúl)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Hindi:
पकाना
(pakānā)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Hungarian:
főzés
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Hungarian:
sütés-főzés
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Irish:
cócaireacht
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Irish:
cócaráil
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Italian:
cucina
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Japanese:
料理
(ryōri)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Japanese:
クッキング
(kukkingu)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Korean:
요리
(yori)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Korean:
료리
(ryori)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Latin:
coctūra
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Malayalam:
പാചകം
(pācakaṁ)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Norman:
tchuithie
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Norwegian Bokmål:
matlaging
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Norwegian Bokmål:
matlagning
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Norwegian Nynorsk:
matlaging
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Old English:
ġesod
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Iranian Persian:
آشْپَزی
(âšpazi)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Portuguese:
cozinha
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Portuguese:
cozimento
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Quechua:
chaya
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Russian:
гото́вка
(gotóvka)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Russian:
кулинари́я
(kulinaríja)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Russian:
стряпня́
(strjapnjá)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Scottish Gaelic:
còcaireachd
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Slovak:
varenie
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Spanish:
cocción
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Swahili:
mapishi
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Swahili:
upishi
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Swedish:
matlagning
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Tagalog:
luto
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Tajik:
таомпазӣ
(taompazi)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Telugu:
వంట
(vaṇṭa)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Tokelauan:
tununga
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Turkish:
aşçılık
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Ukrainian:
готува́ння
(hotuvánnja)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Ukrainian:
варі́ння
(varínnja)
— the process of preparing food by using heat
Bulgarian:
готварство
(gotvarstvo)
— one's ability to prepare food; cookery
Georgian:
მზარეულობა
(mzareuloba)
— one's ability to prepare food; cookery
Hungarian:
főztje
— one's ability to prepare food; cookery
Afrikaans:
kookkuns
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Bulgarian:
кухня
(kuhnja)
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Czech:
kuchyně
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Czech:
kuchařství
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Estonian:
kokakunst
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Ewe:
nuɖaɖa
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Finnish:
keittotaito
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Finnish:
ruoanlaitto
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
French:
art culinaire
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Georgian:
სამზარეულო
(samzareulo)
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
German:
Küche
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
German:
Kochkunst
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Greek:
μαγειρική
(mageirikí)
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Ancient Greek:
μαγειρική
(mageirikḗ)
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Ancient Greek:
ὀψοποιία
(opsopoiía)
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Hebrew:
בישול \ בִּשּׁוּל
(bishúl)
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Hungarian:
konyhaművészet
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Hungarian:
konyha
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Irish:
cócaireacht
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Latin:
coctūra
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Malayalam:
പാചകം
(pācakaṁ)
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Norwegian Bokmål:
kjøkken
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Portuguese:
cozinha
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Portuguese:
culinária
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Russian:
ку́хня
(kúxnja)
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Russian:
кулинари́я
(kulinaríja)
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Scottish Gaelic:
còcaireachd
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Spanish:
cocina
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Spanish:
cocinería (disused)
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Spanish:
gastronomía
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Spanish:
culinaria
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Swahili:
mapishi
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Swahili:
upishi
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Swedish:
kök
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Tagalog:
luto
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Tagalog:
pagluluto
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
Telugu:
వంట
(vaṇṭa)
— the style or genre of food preparation; cookery; cuisine
