recipe - Master This Word
Master this word with our 5-step learning method – Learn English in English
recipe Word Meanings
- a set of instructions for preparing a dish
- a method for achieving a result
- a prescription for medication
recipe Example Sentences
Example sentences are the start of understanding. Don't rush to memorize. First feel how the word works in a sentence.
recipe Phonetic & Pronunciation
UK
/ˈrɛs.ɪ.pi/
US
/ˈrɛs.ə.pi/
recipe Word Etymology
re- = again + capere = to seize. Originated from Latin, then passed to Old French before entering English. Imagine grabbing an old recipe book and joyfully seizing it again to cook a favorite dish.
Note 1: These definitions and etymologies are not standard dictionary definitions, but extended explanations provided to help with memorization and understanding of the actual application of words. Through this background information, we strive to make words more vivid and easier to understand, and help you remember their meanings in real life.
Note 2: LexiTalk designs the learning flow around the linguistics principle of “Comprehensible Input.” When learners encounter material that is slightly above their level but still understandable from context, the brain naturally absorbs the language. That’s why we keep every word inside authentic contexts, using examples and associations to help you understand it and use it flexibly.
Read the FAQ explanation of Comprehensible InputEnglish Brain Route
I pick up a recipe card, scan the steps, and set a pot on the stove. I push the heat a notch, adjust the timing, and move ingredients from bowl to pan. Steam rises and my hands find a steady rhythm, a quiet effort that feels right as flavors begin to wake. What started as lines on paper becomes a real plan I can use over and over, a process I keep turning into meals.
Real Context
Recipe is a flexible term in English. Most people think of a recipe primarily as a set of instructions for cooking a dish, listing ingredients in order and steps to follow. But the word also appears in nonculinary contexts: a proven method or plan to achieve a result, or even a medical prescription in some phrases inherited from older usage. Learners often mix up the cooking sense with general manuals, or assume a recipe always implies exact measurements rather than approximate guidelines. Native speakers also use recipe metaphorically to describe a 'recipe for success' that can be adapted to different situations. Understanding these senses helps avoid wrong collocations like using recipe for medicines or calling a plan a recipe when you mean a proven method.
Usage Reminders
- Remember that recipe can mean more than cooking. Treat it as both a set of steps and a plan you can adapt. Don’t translate recipe as prescription in medicine. Use phrases like a recipe for success to signal a repeatable method. Common collocations include recipe book, recipe card, and recipe for disaster. Be mindful of exact measurements versus flexible guidelines.
Common Misconceptions
- Recipe always means cooking; it does not.
- A recipe must have exact quantities.
- A recipe is never used metaphorically.
- Prescription and recipe are interchangeable in modern English.
- All recipes require baking or simmering.
Thinking Differences
For English learners, recipe lives in both cooking and metaphor. Many languages separate cooking steps from plans or prescriptions, so learners sometimes assume recipe must specify exact measures or is never a metaphor.
Learning Tips
- Learn both culinary and metaphorical uses of recipe.
- Practice with a real recipe and with a metaphorical phrase.
- Note common collocations: recipe book, recipe for success, first recipe.
- Distinguish recipe from instruction manuals in different contexts.
- Be aware that medicine is usually prescribed with prescription, not recipe.
- Listen for context clues to identify the meaning.
5-Step Learning Method - Learn English in English
Step 1: Meaning
What is the meaning of the word 'recipe'?
A.Piece of clothing
B.List of ingredients and instructions for cooking a dish
C.Tool used for gardening
D.Musical instrument
Step 2: Usage
How is the word 'recipe' used in a sentence?
A.They danced to the recipe
B.He painted a recipe on the wall
C.She followed the recipe to make a delicious cake
D.I read a recipe novel
Step 3: Similar Words
Which word is similar to 'recipe'?
A.Weather
B.Furniture
C.Menu
D.Vehicle
Step 4: Opposite Words
Which word is the opposite of 'recipe'?
A.Recipe
B.Disorder
C.Recycle
D.Reflect
Step 5: Mastery
In what real-life context would you use the word 'recipe'?
A.Teaching a math lesson
B.Building a house
C.Repairing a car
D.Cooking a meal
Related Listening
🌱 Lite (Beginner)
🔥 Advanced
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