cook, n. [AS. cōc, fr. L. cocus, coquus, coquus, fr. coquere to cook; akin to Gr. pe`ptein, Skr. pac, and to E. apricot, biscuit, concoct, dyspepsia, precocious. Cf. Pumpkin.].

One whose occupation is to prepare food for the table; one who dresses or cooks meat or vegetables for eating. [1913 Webster]
A fish, the European striped wrasse. [1913 Webster]

cook, v. t.

To prepare, as food, by boiling, roasting, baking, broiling, etc.; to make suitable for eating, by the agency of fire or heat. [1913 Webster]
To concoct or prepare; hence, to tamper with or alter; to garble; -- often with up; as, to cook up a story; to cook an account. [1913 Webster]
"They all of them receive the same advices from abroad, and very often in the same words; but their way of cooking it is so different." [1913 Webster]

cook, v. i.

To prepare food for the table. [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

cook, v. & n.
--v.
1 tr. prepare (food) by heating it.
2 intr. (of food) undergo cooking.
3 tr. colloq. falsify (accounts etc.); alter to produce a desired result.
4 tr. sl. ruin, spoil.
5 tr. (esp. as cooked adj.) Brit. sl. fatigue, exhaust.
6 tr. & intr. US colloq. do or proceed successfully.
7 intr. (as be cooking) colloq. be happening or about to happen (went to find out what was cooking).
--n. a person who cooks, esp. professionally or in a specified way (a good cook).

Idiom

cook-chill
1 the process of cooking and refrigerating food ready for reheating at a later time.
2 (attrib.) (of food) prepared in this way. cook a person's goose ruin a person's chances. cook up colloq. invent or concoct (a story, excuse, etc.).

Derivative

cookable adj. & n.

Etymology

OE coc f. pop.L cocus for L coquus

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THESAURUS

cook

KO, abigail, adulterate, amah, au pair girl, ayah, bake, baker, ball up, barbecue, baste, be in heat, betweenmaid, biddy, blanch, blaze, bloom, boil, bollix, bollix up, braise, brew, broil, brown, bugger, bugger up, burn, chafe, chambermaid, chaperon, chef, chef de cuisine, chief cook, choke, coddle, combust, companion, culinarian, culinary artist, curry, defeat, devil, dish, do, do for, do in, do to perfection, doctor, duenna, electric-heat, fake, femme de chambre, fille de chambre, fire, fire up, fix, flame, flame up, flare, flare up, flicker, flush, foment, foul up, fricassee, frizz, frizzle, fry, fry cook, gas-heat, gasp, gentlewoman, girl, glow, griddle, grill, gum up, handmaid, handmaiden, hash up, heat, hired girl, hot, hot up, hot-air-heat, hot-water-heat, housemaid, incandesce, juggle, kitchener, kitchenmaid, knock out, lady-help, lady-in-waiting, live-in maid, live-out maid, load, louse up, maid, maidservant, manipulate, melt, mess up, muck up, mull, nursemaid, oven-bake, overheat, pack, pan, pan-broil, pant, parboil, parch, parlormaid, pastry chef, pastrycook, plant, play hell with, play hob with, poach, preheat, prepare, prepare food, queer, radiate heat, recook, reheat, retouch, rig, roast, salt, saute, scald, scallop, scorch, screw up, scullery maid, scuttle, sear, seethe, servant girl, servitress, settle, shimmer with heat, shirr, shoot down, short-order cook, simmer, sink, smolder, smother, snafu, snarl up, sophisticate, soubrette, spark, stack, steam, stew, stifle, stir-fry, stoke up, suffocate, superheat, sweat, swelter, tamper with, tepefy, toast, torpedo, tweeny, undo, upstairs maid, waiting maid, warm, warm over, warm up, wench

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ROGET THESAURUS

cook

Improvement

VB improve, be better, become better, get better, mend, amend, advance, ascend, increase, fructify, ripen, mature, pick up, come about, rally, take a favorable turn, turn over a new leaf, turn the corner, raise one's head, sow one's wild oats, recover, be better, be improved by, turn to right account, turn to good account, turn to best account, profit by, reap the benefit of, make good use of, make capital out of, place to good account, render better, improve, mend, amend, better, ameliorate, meliorate, correct, decrassify, improve upon, refine upon, rectify, enrich, mellow, elaborate, fatten, promote, cultivate, advance, forward, enhance, bring forward, bring on, foster, invigorate, touch up, rub up, brush up, furbish up, bolster up, vamp up, brighten up, warm up, polish, cook, make the most of, set off to advantage, prune, repair, put in order, review, revise, make corrections, make improvements, doctor, purify, relieve, refresh, infuse new blood into, recruit, reform, remodel, reorganize, new model, view in a new light, think better of, appeal from Philip drunk to Philip sober, palliate, mitigate, lessen an evil.

Preparation

VB prepare, get ready, make ready, make preparations, settle preliminaries, get up, sound the note of preparation, set in order, put in order, forecast, prepare the ground, plow the ground, dress the ground, till the soil, cultivate the soil, predispose, sow the seed, lay a train, dig a mine, lay the groundwork, fix the groundwork, lay the basis, fix the basis, lay the foundations, fix the foundations, dig the foundations, erect the scaffolding, lay the first stone, roughhew, cut out work, block out, hammer out, lick into shape, elaborate, mature, ripen, mellow, season, bring to maturity, nurture, hatch, cook, brew, temper, anneal, smelt, barbecue, infumate, maturate, equip, arm, man, fit-out, fit up, furnish, rig, dress, garnish, betrim, accouter, array, fettle, fledge, dress up, furbish up, brush up, vamp up, refurbish, sharpen one's tools, trim one's foils, set, prime, attune, whet the knife, whet the sword, wind up, screw up, adjust, put in trim, put in train, put in gear, put in working order, put in tune, put in a groove for, put in harness, pack, train, inure, breed, prepare for, rehearse, make provision for, take steps, take measures, take precautions, provide, provide against, beat up for recruits, open the door to, set one's house in order, make all snug, clear the decks, clear for action, close one's ranks, shuffle the cards, prepare oneself, serve an apprenticeship, lay oneself out for, get into harness, gird up one's loins, buckle on one's armor, reculer pour mieux sauter, prime and load, shoulder arms, get the steam up, put the horses to, guard against, make sure against, forearm, make sure, prepare for the evil day, have a rod in pickle, provide against a rainy day, feather one's nest, lay in provisions, make investments, keep on foot, be prepared, be ready, hold oneself in readiness, keep one's powder dry, lie in wait for, anticipate, principiis obstare, veniente occurrere morbo.

Servant

N servant, subject, liegeman, servant, retainer, follower, henchman, servitor, domestic, menial, help, lady help, employe, attache, official, retinue, suite, cortege, staff, court, attendant, squire, usher, page, donzel, footboy, train bearer, cup bearer, waiter, lapster, butler, livery servant, lackey, footman, flunky, flunkey, valet, valet de chambre, equerry, groom, jockey, hostler, ostler, tiger, orderly, messenger, cad, gillie, herdsman, swineherd, barkeeper, bartender, bell boy, boots, boy, counterjumper, khansamah, khansaman, khitmutgar, yardman, bailiff, castellan, seneschal, chamberlain, major-domo, groom of the chambers, secretary, under secretary, assistant secretary, clerk, subsidiary, agent, subaltern, underling, understrapper, man, maid, maidservant, handmaid, confidente, lady's maid, abigail, soubrette, amah, biddy, nurse, bonne, ayah, nursemaid, nursery maid, house maid, parlor maid, waiting maid, chamber maid, kitchen maid, scullery maid, femme de chambre, femme fille, camarista, chef de cuisine, cordon bleu, cook, scullion, Cinderella, potwalloper, maid of all work, servant of all work, laundress, bedmaker, journeyman, charwoman, bearer, chokra, gyp (Cambridge), hamal, scout (Oxford), serf, vassal, slave, negro, helot, bondsman, bondswoman, bondslave, ame damnee, odalisque, ryot, adscriptus gleboe, villian, villein, beadsman, bedesman, sizar, pensioner, pensionary, client, dependant, dependent, hanger on, satellite, parasite, led captain, protege, ward, hireling, mercenary, puppet, tool, creature, badge of slavery, bonds, in the train of, in one's pay, in one's employ, at one's call, in bonds.

Calefaction

VB heat, warm, chafe, stive, foment, make hot, sun oneself, sunbathe, go up in flames, burn to the ground (flame), fire, set fire to, set on fire, kindle, enkindle, light, ignite, strike a light, apply the match to, apply the torch to, rekindle, relume, fan the flame, add fuel to the flame, poke the fire, stir the fire, blow the fire, make a bonfire of, melt, thaw, fuse, liquefy, burn, inflame, roast, toast, fry, grill, singe, parch, bake, torrefy, scorch, brand, cauterize, sear, burn in, corrode, char, calcine, incinerate, smelt, scorify, reduce to ashes, burn to a cinder, commit to the flames, consign to the flames, boil, digest, stew, cook, seethe, scald, parboil, simmer, do to rags, take fire, catch fire, blaze.

Falsehood

VB be false, be a liar, speak falsely, tell a lie, lie, fib, lie like a trooper, swear false, forswear, perjure oneself, bear false witness, misstate, misquote, miscite, misreport, misrepresent, belie, falsify, pervert, distort, put a false construction upon (misinterpret), prevaricate, equivocate, quibble, palter, palter to the understanding, repondre en Normand, trim, shuffle, fence, mince the truth, beat about the bush, blow hot and cold, play fast and loose, garble, gloss over, disguise, give a color to, give a gloss, put a gloss, put false coloring upon, color, varnish, cook, dress up, embroider, varnish right and puzzle wrong, exaggerate, blague, invent, fabricate, trump up, get up, force, fake, hatch, concoct, romance, cry 'wolf!', dissemble, dissimulate, feign, assume, put on, pretend, make believe, play possum, play false, play a double game, coquet, act a part, play a part, affect, simulate, pass off for, counterfeit, sham, make a show of, malinger, say the grapes are sour, cant, play the hypocrite, sham Abraham, faire pattes de velours, put on the mask, clean the outside of the platter, lie like a conjuror, hand out false colors, hold out false colors, sail under false colors, commend the poisoned chalice to the lips, ambiguas in vulgum spargere voces, deceive.

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