cookout
UK[ˈkʊkaʊt]US[ˈkʊkaʊt]
n
A social gathering where a meal is cooked and eaten outdoors, especially one at which barbecued food is served.
Morpheme Breakdown
cook
out
cook
out
Etymology
The word "cookout" is a transparent 20th-century American English compound, formed by directly combining the verb "cook" with the adverb "out." The term logically describes the core activity (cooking) and its distinctive setting (outdoors). It emerged as a casual, descriptive label for an informal outdoor meal, particularly one involving grilling or barbecuing, reflecting a modern social and culinary tradition centered on leisure and communal eating in an open-air environment. The simplicity of its construction makes its meaning immediately accessible, with "out" evoking the informal, alfresco nature that distinguishes it from a formal indoor dinner.
Analysis
Structure: cook + out
- cook: From Old English cōc (a cook), from Latin coquus (a cook). In this compound, it functions as the core action/agent.
- out: From Old English ūt (out, outside, away). In this compound, it functions as a locative/adverbial element, indicating the place or manner of the action.
Examples
We're having a big family cookout in the backyard this weekend.
He's in charge of the grill at the annual neighborhood cookout.
The weather was perfect for a beach cookout.