backstrap

noun

back·​strap

ˈbak-ˌstrap

plural backstraps

1

: a pull strap attached to the top of the backstay of a shoe or boot

2

: the spine of a book : backbone sense 3

3

: a strip of meat from the area along the spinal column of a quadruped animal (such as a lamb or deer)

As for backstraps—the muscles parallel to an animal's spine and generally tender in four-footed game because it's not weight-bearing like a haunch or shoulder—and ribs and tenderloins, these should be saved for roasting or grilling.

—T. C. Mitchell, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Sept. 2004

There's no doubt that loin of venison, or backstrap, is the tastiest and most prized cut of meat around many Florida hunting camps and Sunday dinner tables.

—Tommy Thompson, Florida Sportsman, November 2012

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1934, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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