Definition

Noun: A microwave oven is a kitchen appliance that cooks or heats food by using microwave radiation. This radiation causes water molecules within the food to vibrate rapidly, generating heat through friction, which cooks the food from the inside out.

Usage

The term microwave oven is used to refer to the specific appliance. In everyday, informal speech, it is often shortened to "microwave." * You should cover your food when you heat it in the microwave oven. * She defrosted the chicken in the microwave oven before roasting it. * Modern microwave ovens often have convection cooking features.

Examples

• The microwave oven beeped, indicating the popcorn was ready.
• For safety, never put metal objects inside a microwave oven.
• He reheated his coffee in the office microwave oven.

Advanced Usage

• As a verb (to microwave): The name of the appliance is commonly used as a verb meaning to cook or heat in a microwave oven.
  • I'll just microwave this soup for lunch.
• As an adjective (microwave-safe): Describes containers or materials that are safe to use inside a microwave oven without melting or releasing harmful chemicals.
  • Make sure you use a microwave-safe dish.

Variants and Related Words

• Microwave (noun, informal): The common shortened form of "microwave oven."
  • Put the leftovers in the microwave for two minutes.
• Microwave (verb): To cook or heat food in a microwave oven.
  • Can you microwave this for me?
• Microwavable (or Microwaveable) (adjective): Suitable for heating in a microwave oven.
  • The package says the meal is microwavable.

Synonyms

• Microwave (noun, informal)
• Nuke (verb, very informal/slang): To cook in a microwave oven.
  • I'm going to nuke some pizza.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• (To be) a quick microwave meal: Used to describe something that is very fast and convenient, often implying it is not gourmet.
  • After work, I'm often too tired to cook, so it's just a quick microwave meal.

Noun

1. kitchen appliance that cooks food by passing an electromagnetic wave through it; heat results from the absorption of energy by the water molecules in the food