Glossary
Line Cook Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential line cook terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key line cook vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in line cook training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- All day
- The total number of an item needed.
- Behind
- A warning that you’re passing behind someone.
- Break down
- Cleaning and storing a station after service.
- Doneness
- How cooked a protein is, such as medium rare.
- Expo
- The expediter who coordinates orders.
- Fire
- Start cooking an order.
- Garde manger
- The cold station for salads and appetizers.
- Heard
- Confirmation that you understood.
- Lowboy
- An under-counter refrigerator.
- Mise en place
- Prepared ingredients ready for service.
- On the fly
- Needed immediately.
- Sauté
- Cooking quickly in a pan with a little fat.
- Six pan
- A common size of food storage pan.
- Station
- A cook’s assigned area, such as grill or sauté.
- Ticket
- An order slip or screen.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Line Cook practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Line Cook training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.