microwave

Everyday

1. A microwave (oven) is a kitchen machine that heats or cooks food very quickly using invisible waves. tree →
2. Microwaves are a kind of invisible wave, like light and radio waves. tree →
3. To microwave food means to heat it in a microwave. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and safety: never put metal, foil or some plastic in a microwave (it can spark); food can be very hot inside even if the outside is cool, so stir and wait; steam from a covered bowl can burn; eggs in their shells can explode. Ask an adult before using it. In science, microwaves make the water in food vibrate, which heats it. In maths, problems give cooking times like «microwave for 2 minutes 30 seconds».

Examples

• Heat the soup in the microwave for two minutes. tree →
• Never put metal in the microwave. tree →
• Stir the food and check it's not too hot. tree →
• Can I microwave my popcorn? tree →
• The microwave beeped when the food was ready. tree →
• Mobile phones and ovens both use microwaves. tree →
• Let the bowl cool before you take it out of the microwave. tree →

Note

Countable: a microwave. Regular verb: microwaved. Short for «microwave oven». The «micro-» means small (short waves). Myth: microwaves make food radioactive — they don't. Food heats unevenly, so stir halfway.