I suppose it's because I've been around a long time

Delia Smith

The cookery writer said it was "extraordinary" to get a dictionary entry and attributed the achievement to her longevity after more than 30 years of recipes.

Among the definitions included in the dictionary are a "Delia dish", which is described as from a recipe or in the "style of cooking of British cookery writer Delia Smith".

The "Delia effect" occurs when millions seek out an ingredient or piece of equipment she has recommended - as they did when she expressed a fondness for cranberries and omelette pans.

Cookery communication

Other references include "Delia power" and "Doing a Delia".

The chef told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme she had always wanted to communicate cookery ideas to the public.

"I think it's quite extraordinary. I've been doing recipes for about 30 years now and I suppose it's because I've been around a long time.

It has become part of the language in a very special way

Jeremy Butterworth Collins Dictionaries

"My husband had the best remark - he said it's not bad for somebody who can't spell."

Ms Smith, who has sold 14 million books and whose television programmes attract millions of viewers, first published a recipe in 1969.

Jeremy Butterworth, editorial director of Collins Dictionaries, said: "There are lots and lots of examples of the word being used on its own, and I think she is unique in that respect.

Showbusiness stars

"It is an adjective and a noun and it can be used in all sorts of different ways. It has become part of the language in a very special way."

The publishers said few other people are so well known that their first names alone merit a place in the dictionary.

Among the others to succeed are showbusiness stars Madonna and Elton (John), and royals including Princess Diana and Maggie (Thatcher).

Among the references about her discovered by the dictionary were "the anti-Delia, anti-Aga backlash" and a list of middle-class British institutions "such as the Dordogne, dishwashers, Delia Smith and dyslexia".