# Cooks

/ˈkʊks/ (US) · /kˈʊks/ (UK) · CEFR A1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cooks
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

people who prepare and heat food for others to eat. They can work in a home or in a professional kitchen like a restaurant.

For teachers: individuals who prepare food for consumption, typically by applying heat. Refers to both domestic practitioners and professional staff below the rank of chef.

## Examples

- The cooks are busy preparing dinner for the guests.
- The restaurant hired three new cooks to handle the busy weekend shifts in the kitchen.
- While the head chef designs the menu, the line cooks are responsible for the consistent execution of every dish that leaves the kitchen during service.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The cookers made a great meal." but "The cooks made a great meal." — Learners often confuse 'cook' (the person) with 'cooker' (the machine or appliance used for cooking).

## Usage notes

- The plural form of the noun 'cook'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.