recipe
- 01 A2 Elementary
a list of ingredients and instructions for making a specific food or drink.
a set of instructions for preparing a particular dish, including a list of the ingredients required.
Simple“I found a great recipe for chocolate cake in my grandmother's old book.”
In context“The chef refused to share his secret recipe for the sauce, claiming it had been in his family for three generations.”
PitfallI followed the receipt for the cake. I followed the recipe for the cake.A 'receipt' is a paper showing you paid for something; a 'recipe' is for cooking.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a situation or plan that is very likely to lead to a particular result, often a bad one.
a formula, procedure, or set of circumstances likely to lead to a specific outcome.
Simple“Driving too fast in the rain is a recipe for disaster.”
In context“Combining high inflation with stagnant wages is a recipe for social unrest, as the government soon discovered during the winter protests.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
an old word for a doctor's instructions for medicine.
a formula for preparing or using a medicine; historically synonymous with a prescription.
Simple“The old book contained a recipe for a herbal tea to cure a cold.”
In context“In the eighteenth century, the term recipe was commonly used by physicians to denote the specific composition of a prescribed remedy.”
UsageIn modern English, 'prescription' has entirely replaced this sense in medical contexts.
Synonyms
recipe vs prescription — A recipe is for the kitchen; a prescription is for the pharmacy.
Borrowed from Middle French récipé, from Latin recipe, second person singular imperative of Latin recipiō (“receive”). Doublet of recept and receipt.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.