Standard Lemma guide

undercook

noun · verb · 3 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.

  • US: /ʌndɚ.kʊk/
  • rhymes with -ʊk
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N D ER0 K UH1 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A subordinate cook.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: sous-chef, subchef, underchef, chef de partie, station chef, line cook (all sometimes synonymous)

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: subcook, sous-chef, subchef, underchef, chef de partie, station chef, line cook

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cook

2

verb

Meaning 2

To cook insufficiently.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: overcook, scorch

Broader terms: overdo

3

verb

Meaning 3

To underdo.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: overdo

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1én Proto-Indo-European *h1entér Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dhí Proto-Indo-European *-ér Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dhér Proto-Germanic *under Proto-West Germanic *undar Old English under- Middle English under- English under- English cook English undercook From under- + cook.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: apukokki — subordinate cook
  • Polish: kucharz pomocniczy — subordinate cook
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不夠火候 /不够火候 (bùgòu huǒhòu) — cook insufficiently
  • Finnish: jättää raa’aksi — cook insufficiently
  • Finnish: kypsentää liian vähän — cook insufficiently
  • Polish: niedogotowywać — cook insufficiently
  • Polish: niedogotować — cook insufficiently
  • Russian: недова́ривать (nedovárivatʹ) — cook insufficiently
  • Russian: недовари́ть (nedovarítʹ) — cook insufficiently
  • Spanish: cocinar insuficientemente — cook insufficiently