cook-house

The cook-house on the ship is busy preparing the crew's evening meal.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • An outdoor kitchen: "cook-house" refers to a building or room used for cooking, especially a separate structure located outside the main dwelling, often found in camps, farms, or historical settings.
   • A ship's galley: In nautical contexts, "cook-house" means the kitchen area on a ship, where meals are prepared for the crew.

Usage Examples

• Outdoor kitchen:
  • The pioneers built a small cook-house behind the main cabin to keep the heat and smoke out of the living space. (A separate outdoor building used for cooking.)
• Ship's galley:
  • The sailors gathered in the cook-house for their evening meal after a long day at sea. (The kitchen area on a ship.)

Advanced Usage

• "cook-house" as a historical term: In colonial or frontier contexts, a cook-house was often a detached structure used to prevent fire hazards and reduce heat in the main house.

  • The old plantation had a stone cook-house near the main house, where slaves prepared meals. (A separate cooking building on a historical estate.)

• "cook-house" in military camps: Temporary cooking facilities set up for troops.

  • The army set up a field cook-house near the tents to feed the soldiers. (A makeshift kitchen in a military camp.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cookhouse (noun): a variant spelling of "cook-house," used interchangeably.
  • The cookhouse was equipped with a large wood-burning stove. (The kitchen building.)
• Cook (noun/verb): a person who prepares food, or the act of preparing food.
  • The cook in the cook-house prepared stew for everyone. (The person working in the kitchen.)

Synonyms

• Kitchen: a room or area used for cooking (general term).
• Galley: a kitchen on a ship or aircraft (nautical or aviation context).
• Scullery: a room for washing dishes and preparing food (historical).

Related Idioms

• "Everything but the kitchen sink": a phrase meaning nearly everything imaginable, often used humorously; not directly related to "cook-house," but associated with kitchen spaces.
  • They brought everything but the kitchen sink on the camping trip, including a portable cook-house. (They brought many items, even a cooking structure.)

Phrasal Verbs

• None directly associated with "cook-house" as a noun. However, related verb phrases include:
  • Cook up: to prepare food quickly or improvise a meal.

    • She cooked up a stew in the cook-house. (She prepared a stew in the outdoor kitchen.)