cake
- 01 A1 Beginner
n.a sweet food made from flour, sugar, and eggs, usually baked and often covered in icing.
n.a sweet baked confection typically composed of flour, sugar, eggs, and leavening agents.
Simple“She baked a chocolate cake for her brother's birthday party.”
In context“The pastry chef decorated the tiered wedding cake with intricate fondant flowers and a delicate vanilla glaze.”
Synonymsgateausponge - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a solid, flat piece of something, like soap or ice.
n.a shaped or compressed mass of a solid substance.
Simple“He used a small cake of soap to wash his hands in the stream.”
In context“The hikers carried concentrated cakes of fuel to ensure they could start a fire in the damp conditions.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a slang word for money.
n.a slang term for money, often implying wealth or a large sum.
Simple“He's been working overtime because he wants to make some serious cake.”
In context“After the tech startup was acquired, the founders walked away with enough cake to retire comfortably in their thirties.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a slang word for a person's bottom, especially if it is large.
n.a slang reference to the buttocks, typically used to describe a plump or muscular appearance.
Simple“The gym leggings were designed to show off her cake.”
In context“The social media comments were filled with slang praising the athlete's physique and cake after the competition.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to cover something with a thick, hard layer of something else, like mud.
v.to coat or cover a surface with a thick, often hardened layer of a substance.
Simple“The children's boots were caked in dried mud after the hike.”
In context“By the end of the desert rally, the engine components were caked with a fine layer of abrasive silt.”
UsageOften used in the passive voice with 'in' or 'with'.
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *kakǭ Old Norse kakabor. Middle English cake English cake From Middle English cake, from Old Norse kaka (“cake”) (compare Norwegian kake, Icelandic/Swedish kaka, Danish kage), from Proto-Germanic *kakǭ, of disputed origin. Likely a distant cognate with kaak. Perhaps related to cookie, kuchen, and quiche. Doublet of coca (pastry).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.