recipe

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions for preparing a particular dish or drink.

   Grammar: Countable; follow a recipe, and use for with the dish being made.

   Patterns

   • follow a recipe
   • a recipe for something
   • a family recipe

   I followed a simple recipe for lentil soup.

   Her grandmother's pancake recipe uses only six ingredients.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   A combination of factors likely to produce a particular result, often a bad one.

   Grammar: Always singular with a; the fixed pattern is a recipe for something.

   Patterns

   • a recipe for disaster
   • a recipe for success
   • a recipe for conflict

   Cutting training while raising targets is a recipe for disaster.

   Clear goals and honest feedback can be a recipe for success.

Word forms

Common combinations

follow a recipe

Beginners should follow a recipe exactly before changing it.

recipe for disaster

Speed, rain, and worn tires are a recipe for disaster.

family recipe

The bakery still uses a family recipe from the 1920s.

secret recipe

The sauce is famous for its secret recipe.

Synonyms and how they differ

formula

Useful figuratively for a method that produces results; recipe is more everyday and often negative.

instructions

Neutral and broader; a recipe is instructions specifically for food or drink.

prescription

Formal figurative use for a remedy or plan, as in prescription for growth; not about cooking.

Commonly confused: recipe or receipt? recipe or recite?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “recipe”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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