the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat
"cooking can be a great art"
"people are needed who have experience in cookery"
"he left the preparation of meals to his wife"
The process of preparing food by using heat.
"After hours of cooking, the kitchen was filled with the smell of roasting chicken and simmering sauce."
In plain English: Cooking is the act of preparing food by heating it.
"She spent all afternoon preparing some delicious cooking for the family dinner."
Usage: As a noun, cooking refers to the general activity or skill of preparing food with heat rather than a specific dish. Use it to describe the overall process, such as "cooking is her favorite hobby," instead of naming a particular meal like "I made chicken."
present participle of cook
"The smell of garlic and onions filled the kitchen as I was cooking dinner for my family."
In plain English: Cooking means heating and preparing food so it is ready to eat.
"She is cooking dinner for the family tonight."
Usage: Use "cooking" to describe the ongoing process of preparing food by heating it, such as when someone is currently frying an egg or simmering soup. Avoid using it for the finished meal itself; instead, refer to the completed dish simply as "cooked."
In progress, happening.
"The kitchen smells amazing because cooking is already underway for dinner tonight."
"The cooking oil splattered across the counter while she was preparing dinner."
Usage: Use cooking as an adjective only to describe something that is currently in progress or happening, such as a cooking fire or cooking plans. Do not use it to describe food that has been prepared and is ready to eat.
The word "cooking" originally referred to the process of preparing food by heat. Its meaning shifted to describe cheap, bitter cooking sherry after being popularized by a character in the 1970s British sitcom Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt.