# kitchen

Pronunciation: US say "KICH-uhn" /ˈkɪt͡ʃ(ə)n/; UK say "KICH-in" /ˈkɪt͡ʃ(ɪ)n/

## Noun

1. A room or area used for preparing and cooking food.
   - Simple: A room or area where people prepare and cook food.
   - _The restaurant's kitchen runs at full speed during the dinner rush._
   - _They renovated the kitchen with new countertops and an island._
2. The cabinets, countertops, and built-in appliances that equip a cooking area, bought and installed together as one set.
   - Simple: All the cabinets, counters, and built-in machines for a cooking room, bought and put in as one set.
   - _They chose a white kitchen from the showroom and had it installed in three days._
   - _The old kitchen was ripped out and sold secondhand, appliances and all._
3. A style or tradition of cooking associated with a particular place or culture.
   - Simple: A way of cooking associated with a particular place or culture.
   - _The chef built her reputation on a refined French kitchen rooted in classic technique._
   - _Olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs are the backbone of the southern Italian kitchen._
4. In pickleball, the non-volley zone: the area beside the net on each side in which players may not strike the ball before it has bounced.
   - Simple: In pickleball, the area near the net on each side where you may not hit the ball before it bounces.
   - _He dropped a soft shot into the kitchen, forcing his opponent to let it bounce._
   - _Her foot landed in the kitchen as she volleyed, and the referee called a fault._
5. The hair at the nape of the neck, especially when tightly curled or uncombed.
   - Simple: The hair at the back of the neck, especially when tightly curled or not combed.
   - _After the rain, the kitchen at the nape of her neck curled up tight._
   - _She asked the stylist to smooth out her kitchen before the photos._

## Noun

6. A metal device used for roasting meat before an open fire. *(dated)*
   - Simple: A metal device used to roast meat in front of an open fire.
   - _The museum guide showed how a tin kitchen, open on one side, reflected the fire's heat onto a turning spit._
   - _In colonial homes, a tin kitchen set before the hearth let the cook roast a joint evenly while the fat ran into its curved base._
7. Anything eaten as a relish with a staple such as bread or potatoes to add flavor; a condiment. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A tasty food eaten in small amounts with bread or potatoes to add flavor.

## Other meanings

- (verb) To do the work of a kitchen; to prepare and cook food.
- (verb) To improve a basic food by seasoning it or adding condiments.
- (verb) To make something more elaborate or attractive; to dress up.
- (noun) A simplified or unrefined form of a language, typically picked up by ear rather than formally studied.
- (noun) The percussion section of an orchestra, taken as a group.
- (noun) In billiards and pool, the part of the table behind the head string, between it and the head rail.
- (noun) A public gambling room in a casino, open to ordinary players.

## Origin

English got "kitchen" through Middle English "kychyn" and Old English "cyċen", which came from Proto-West Germanic *kukinā. That Germanic word was borrowed from Late Latin "cocīna" (earlier "coquīna", meaning "kitchen" or "cuisine"), built on "coquō" ("to cook"), whose root is Proto-Indo-European *pekʷ- ("to cook, become ripe"). English now has twins: "kitchen" for the room (Latin by way of Germanic) and "cuisine" for the style of cooking (Latin by way of French).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/kitchen (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).