English Reference
adjective

culinary

adj.
US /ˈkjuɫɪˌnɛɹi/ UK /kjˈʊlɪnəɹi/ culi·nary

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Cooking

    related to the activity of cooking or the skills used in a kitchen.

    relating to the practice of cookery or the activity of preparing food.

    Simple

    The city is famous for its culinary traditions and excellent seafood restaurants.

    In context

    The chef's culinary expertise was evident in the way he balanced complex spices with simple, fresh ingredients.

    gastronomicdietary
  2. 02 C1 Advanced Formal Cooking

    related to the tools, equipment, or environment of a kitchen.

    pertaining specifically to the kitchen environment or the tools used therein.

    Simple

    She bought a new set of culinary tools for her professional baking course.

    In context

    The museum exhibition featured various culinary implements from the eighteenth century, including heavy iron pots and primitive hand-cranked grinders.

    kitchen related

Borrowed from French culinaire, itself a borrowing from Latin culīnārius, from culīna (“kitchen”).

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

This entry
Origin Latin culīnārius
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated