Bake (bāk), v. t. [imp. & p. p.Baked (bākt); p. pr. & vb. n.Baking.] [AS. bacan; akin to D. bakken, OHG. bacchan, G. backen, Icel. & Sw. baka, Dan. bage, Gr. φώγειν to roast.] 1. To prepare, as food, by cooking in a dry heat, either in an oven or under coals, or on heated stone or metal; as, to bake bread, meat, apples.
☞ Baking is the term usually applied to that method of cooking which exhausts the moisture in food more than roasting or broiling; but the distinction of meaning between roasting and baking is not always observed.
2. To dry or harden (anything) by subjecting to heat, as, to bake bricks; the sun bakes the ground.
3. To harden by cold.
The earth... is baked with frost.
Shak.
They bake their sides upon the cold, hard stone.
Spenser.