baking
n. · adj.-
1 the activity of cooking (n.) A2 Elementary Cookingthe activity or hobby of making food like bread, cakes, and cookies in an oven.
the process or occupation of cooking food by dry heat in an oven. Uncountable when referring to the activity in general.
ExampleI spent the whole Sunday afternoon baking for the school charity sale.
ExampleArtisanal baking has seen a significant resurgence as consumers increasingly seek out traditional sourdough and heritage grain products.
UsageOften used as an uncountable noun to describe the hobby or the general process.
- cookery
- pastry making
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2 a batch of food (n.) B1 Intermediate Cookinga single time you bake a group of items, or the items themselves.
the production of a specific batch of baked goods. Countable in the sense of a single event or output.
ExampleThe first baking of the morning was ready by six o'clock.
ExampleThe bakery's second baking of the day focuses exclusively on baguettes and specialty rolls for the lunch rush.
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3 very hot (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediate Informalextremely hot, especially when talking about the weather or a room.
extremely hot; used figuratively to describe intense heat from the sun or a lack of ventilation.
ExampleIt was a baking hot day, so we decided to go to the beach.
ExampleThe office was baking by mid-afternoon because the air conditioning system had failed during the heatwave.
From Middle English bakynge; equivalent to bake + -ing.