Definition

Verb: 1. To cook (food) using a pressure cooker: The process of preparing food in a sealed vessel that uses steam pressure to cook food quickly at a temperature above the normal boiling point of water.

Usage

This verb specifically describes the cooking method. It is often used in recipes and cooking instructions. It can be used both transitively (with a direct object) and intransitively.

Examples

• Transitive use: "You can pressure-cook the beans in about 30 minutes, instead of soaking them overnight."
• Intransitive use: "I need to pressure-cook for another ten minutes before I can release the steam."
• Passive voice: "The chicken was perfectly tender because it was pressure-cooked."

Advanced Usage

• Figurative/Idiomatic Use: Informally, "to pressure-cook" can describe a situation where intense stress or pressure is applied, forcing a rapid outcome or development. This is an extended metaphorical use.
  • Example: "The final week before the product launch pressure-cooked the team, but they delivered an excellent result."

Variants and Related Words

• Pressure cooker (n): The sealed pot used for pressure-cooking.
• Pressure cooking (n/gerund): The activity or method of cooking with a pressure cooker.
  • Example: "Pressure cooking is a great way to save time in the kitchen."

Synonyms

• Cook under pressure: A more descriptive phrase with the same literal meaning.

Related Idioms

• In a pressure cooker: An idiom describing a high-stress, intense environment.
  • Example: "Trading floors are often described as being in a pressure cooker."

Verb

1. cook in a pressure cooker