A helper or assistant to a cook, especially in logging camps or work crews.
From 'cook' plus the suffix '-ee,' which designates someone who receives an action or assists. This is primarily a North American term used in informal labor settings, dating to the 1800s.
The '-ee' suffix is the opposite of '-er'—a baker makes things, but a bakee would receive baking (though we don't use that word). 'Cookee' preserves this pattern in old occupational English, especially in rough work camps where clear hierarchy was important.
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