Word
recipe
US/ˈɹɛsəpi/
UK/ɹˈɛsɪpˌiː/
Definitions
01cooking instructions
A2 · Elementary Countable noun Cooking
n. a list of ingredients and instructions for making a specific food or drink.
n. a set of instructions for preparing a particular dish, including a list of the ingredients required.
Español:receta
“I found a great recipe for chocolate cake in my grandmother's old book.”
“The chef refused to share his secret recipe for the sauce, claiming it had been in his family for three generations.”
Pitfall
I 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
02a plan for a result
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a situation or plan that is very likely to lead to a particular result, often a bad one.
n. a formula, procedure, or set of circumstances likely to lead to a specific outcome.
“Driving too fast in the rain is a recipe for disaster.”
“Combining high inflation with stagnant wages is a recipe for social unrest, as the government soon discovered during the winter protests.”
03medical prescription
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Medicine Archaic
n. an old word for a doctor's instructions for medicine.
n. a formula for preparing or using a medicine; historically synonymous with a prescription.
“The old book contained a recipe for a herbal tea to cure a cold.”
“In the eighteenth century, the term recipe was commonly used by physicians to denote the specific composition of a prescribed remedy.”
Usage
In modern English, 'prescription' has entirely replaced this sense in medical contexts.
Synonyms
Confusables
A recipe is for the kitchen; a prescription is for the pharmacy.
RememberRecipe = Food. Prescription = Pharmacy.
Etymology
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.
Idioms
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/recipe
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0