What is the meaning of cooking?

noun

• The act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat.
  • usage: "cooking can be a great art"; "people are needed who have experience in cookery"; "he left the preparation of meals to his wife"
  • synonyms: cookery, preparation

verb

• Prepare a hot meal.
  • usage: "My husband doesn't cook"
  • synonyms: cook
• Prepare for eating by applying heat.
  • usage: "Cook me dinner, please"; "can you make me an omelette"; "fix breakfast for the guests, please"
  • synonyms: cook, fix, ready, make, prepare
• Transform and make suitable for consumption by heating.
  • usage: "These potatoes have to cook for 20 minutes"
  • synonyms: cook
• Tamper, with the purpose of deception.
  • usage: "Fudge the figures"; "cook the books"; "falsify the data"
  • synonyms: fudge, manipulate, fake, falsify, cook, wangle, misrepresent
• Transform by heating.
  • usage: "The apothecary cooked the medicinal mixture in a big iron kettle"
  • synonyms: cook