: the act of preparing food for eating especially by heating : the act of cooking food

At its most basic, cooking means applying heat to food. Whether the food is baked, fried, sautéed, boiled, or grilled, it's all cooking. Evidence suggests our ancestors began cooking over an open fire over 2 million years ago. People still cook some foods over an open flame, in addition to using tools like microwaves, toasters, and stovetops.