bake

Use the word "bake" when you cook something inside an oven.

• Vanessa likes to bake.
• She likes to bake cakes, muffins, and cookies.
• Something’s baking in the oven. It smells good, whatever it is.
• A 20-pound turkey will need to bake in the oven for about four to five hours. (bake = roast)

Pay attention to the "ed" ending after a "k." It forms a "t" sound.

• The chicken was baked in the oven. (past tense, passive voice)
• Vanessa baked a cake. (past tense)

He baked some muffins.

The word "baked" is an adjective:

• There’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread. (This sentence uses "baked" as an adjective.)
• Do you like baked potatoes?
• Bob and those guys stayed out in the sun too long and got totally baked. (baked = sunburned)

There are a few words closely related to the word "bake."

• A baker is a person who bakes things in the oven as a profession.
• A bakery is a place where you can buy baked goods (baked goods = bread, cake, donuts, cookies, etc.).

There are a few other ways to use the word "bake."

• His idea sounds half-baked. (His idea hasn’t been fully developed.)
• Mary has two buns baking in the oven. (She’s pregnant with twins.)
• Let’s allow this to bake for a few days before coming back to it. (Let’s give this situation or idea some time; let’s wait.)

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January 2, 2015