meat

noun

ˈmēt 

1

a

: food

especially : solid food as distinguished from drink

b

: the edible part of something as distinguished from its covering (such as a husk or shell)

2

: animal tissue considered especially as food:

a

: flesh sense 2b

also : flesh of a mammal as opposed to fowl or fish

b

: flesh sense 1a

specifically : flesh of domesticated animals

3

archaic : meal entry 1 sense 1

especially : dinner

4

a

: the core of something : heart

b

: pith sense 2b

a novel with meat

5

: favorite pursuit or interest

meated

ˈmē-təd 

adjective

meatless adjective

Synonyms

• flesh

Examples of meat in a Sentence

The restaurant serves a variety of meats.

The real meat of the book is found in its discussion of his economic plan.

Recent Examples on the Web

Many vegans and vegetarians do not want meat, chicken or fish in their kitchens. —Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024

In September, Culture Meat & Cheese also left the market so that its owner, longtime local restaurateur Justin Brunson, could tend to his rapidly growing dry-aged meat business, Brunson Meat Co., which is now selling bacon at 147 King Soopers and City Market stores in Colorado. —Sara Rosenthal, The Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2024

Mounds of fresh fruits, plump veggies, pantry staples, meats, and even bags of frozen seafood boils poked out of them. —Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024

Trending on Billboard In 2009, Morrissey famously left the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California due to the smell of burning meat from nearby food vendors. —Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mete "food, meal," going back to Old English, going back to Germanic *mati- (whence Old Saxon meti, mat "food," Old High German maz, Old Norse matr, Gothic mats), perhaps going back to Indo-European *mod-i-, derivative of a verbal base *med- "become full," whence Greek mestós "full, satiated"

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing meat

• dark meat
• dead meat
• luncheon meat
• lunch meat
• meat and potatoes
• meat-ax
• meat loaf
• meat market
• meat sweats
• red meat
• variety meat
• white meat

Kids Definition

meat

noun

ˈmēt 

1

a

: something eaten for nourishment

especially : solid food as distinguished from drink

b

: the edible part of something as distinguished from the covering (as a shell or husk)

walnut meat

2

: animal and especially mammal flesh used as food