English Reference
noun

cookbook

n.
US /ˈkʊkˌbʊk/ UK /kˈʊkbʊk/ cook·book UK spelling cookbooks

  1. 01 A2 Elementary Cooking

    a book that tells you how to prepare and cook different meals.

    a book containing recipes and instructions for the preparation of food.

    Simple

    I bought a new Italian cookbook to learn how to make fresh pasta.

    In context

    The chef published a comprehensive cookbook that detailed the traditional techniques of Mediterranean cuisine for a modern audience.

    cookery bookrecipe book
  2. 02 C1 Advanced Informal

    a book or guide that gives you a step-by-step plan for doing something.

    a collection of procedures or strategies for achieving a specific result in a field other than cooking.

    Simple

    The manager used a corporate cookbook to handle the company's rebranding.

    In context

    The software engineers followed a technical cookbook to ensure the server migration was completed without any data loss.


From cook + book; possibly also a calque of German Kochbuch, from kochen (“cook”) + Buch (“book”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level A2 · Elementary
Frequency Frequent
Updated