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

This recipe has cabbage leaves stuffed with a delicious mixture of meat, pork, and rice. —Emma Phelps, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2024

This isn’t the smashburger way, which may sometimes come with lettuce but most often favors the full press of bun, meat and cheese. —Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024

Deli meat and cold cuts are deemed safe for pregnant people to eat once the meat has been heated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the meat is steaming hot, per the CDC. —Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2024

The Costco products join a list of frozen foods that have been sold by other retailers including Walmart, Trader Joe’s, and Amazon, and add to millions of pounds of meat that have been recalled in recent week because of listeria concerns. —Melvin Backman, Quartz, 25 Oct. 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