Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - cook

~1 v 1 to prepare food for eating by using heat  (Mmm! That's delicious! Where did you learn to cook like that? | cook dinner/supper/a meal etc)  (I'm tired. Will you cook dinner today? | cook sth for sb)  (Sarah cooked lasagne for her parents when they visited. | cook sb sth)  (He decided to cook his parents a special meal for their wedding anniversary.) 2 to be prepared for eating by using heat  (The potatoes are cooking and will be ready in ten minutes.) 3 informal to change facts, numbers etc dishonestly, for your own advantage; falsify  (I'm sure the police have been cooking the evidence to get more convictions.) 4 be cooking informal being planned in a secret way  (Everyone in the office has been whispering this morning - I'm sure there's something cooking.) 5 cook the books to dishonestly change official records and figures in order to steal money  (The company accountant was charged with cooking the books.) 6 cook sb's goose to get someone into serious trouble  (It would really cook his goose if I told his wife where he was last night.) 7 be cooking with gas AmE spoken used to say that someone is doing something very well cook sth up phr v 1 to make a meal quickly, often using food that has been left from a previous meal  (I volunteered to cook up a risotto using the rice from last night.) 2 informal to invent a story or excuse in order to prevent someone blaming you for something  (Rachel cooked up some story about her car breaking down, to explain why she was so late.) ~2 n 1 someone who prepares and cooks food as their job  (Jane works as a cook in a local restaurant.)  (- compare chef) 2 be a good/excellent etc cook to be good at preparing and cooking food  (My dad's a really good cook.) 3 too many cooks (spoil the broth) used when you think there are too many people trying to do the same job at the same time, so that the job is not done well  (- see also chief cook and bottle-washer chief1 (3))