noun
recipe
REH-sih-pee
noun
1
A set of instructions for cooking a dish, listing ingredients and the steps to combine and prepare them.
"She followed her grandmother's recipe for apple pie exactly."
"The recipe called for two cups of flour and a pinch of salt."
2
Figuratively, a plan or formula likely to bring about a certain result.
"Cutting corners on safety is a recipe for disaster."
"Hard work and patience are the recipe for success."
How to Use Recipe
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishStep-by-step instructions for making something, most often a dish, or more loosely a formula for achieving an outcome.
Common pairings
a recipe for disaster
follow a recipe
a family recipe
a recipe calls for
Word Forms
recipes plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “recipe”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
She followed her grandmother's _____ for apple pie exactly.
Etymology
From Latin recipe, "take!" — the word doctors once wrote at the top of a prescription telling the pharmacist which ingredients to take and combine.