What does uncooked mean?
Uncooked is an adjective meaning that food has not been heated or otherwise cooked. It is especially common in culinary, technical, and safety-related contexts, where it can describe uncooked meat, vegetables, dough, eggs, or grains. The word is more explicit than raw, which can also mean unprocessed or inexperienced depending on context. Uncooked also contrasts with undercooked: the former means that cooking has not taken place, while the latter means that cooking occurred but was insufficient. In ordinary conversation, raw is often the more familiar choice, but uncooked is useful when clarity and literal precision matter. Although primarily an adjective, uncooked can also function as a verb form of the uncommon verb uncook, meaning to reverse or undo cooking. The word is understood and used in both British and American English, with little regional difference.
Not cooked; raw.
"The sauce contains uncooked flour and eggs."
Neutral and precise; particularly common in culinary and technical descriptions.
To undo the cooking of food or return food to its uncooked state.
"The chef uncooked the vegetables before returning them to the pot."
This is the third-person singular present and past participle of uncook; the verb is uncommon in modern usage.
In a kitchen, “uncooked” and “undercooked” can be worlds apart.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does uncooked come from?
Uncooked is formed in English by combining the productive prefix un- with cook. The prefix un- derives from Old English and has long been used to reverse the meaning of verbs and adjectives. Cook is an Old English word with roots in Latin coquere, meaning “to boil” or “to cook,” and the related English forms cooker, cookery, and cookhouse reflect that shared origin.
Related word forms
How uncooked is actually used
As an adjective, uncooked is neutral and precise, especially in culinary or technical contexts. The verb form is comparatively uncommon and may sound unusual or informal.
Easily confused with uncooked
Uncooked means not cooked at all, whereas undercooked means cooked for too little time or at too low a temperature.