'pre-cook' originates from the prefix 'pre-' meaning 'before' and the word 'cook', which comes from Old English 'cōc', derived from Latin 'coquus'.

'pre-cook' combines the prefix 'pre-' with 'cook', a word that has remained largely unchanged since its Old English origins.

Initially, 'cook' meant 'to prepare food by heating', and 'pre-cook' evolved to mean 'to cook in advance'.