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meat

n. C / U
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈmit// UK //mˈiːt// meat Archaic Dialect General-service Informal Slang Vulgar

n. the flesh of an animal that people eat as food. It is a common source of protein in many diets.

n. the flesh of an animal, typically a mammal or bird, consumed as food. In a broader culinary context, it may refer to the edible part of anything, such as a nut or fruit.


SIMPLE

I do not eat meat because I am a vegetarian.

CONTEXTUAL

The chef seasoned the meat with salt and pepper before placing it on the hot grill.

COMPLEX

While global consumption of red meat remains high, there is a growing market for plant-based alternatives that mimic the texture and flavour of traditional animal products.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English mete, from Old English mete (“food”), from Proto-West Germanic mati, from Proto-Germanic matiz (“food”), from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂d- (“to drip, ooze; grease, fat”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian Miit (“meat”), Danish mad (“food”), Faroese and Icelandic matur (“food, meal”), Norn mader (“food”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish mat (“food”), Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐍄𐍃 (mats, “food”). A -ja- derivation from the same base is found in Middle Dutch and Middle Low German met (“lean pork”), from which Dutch met (“minced pork”) and German Mett (“minced meat”) derive, respectively. Compare also Old Irish mess (“animal feed”) and Welsh mes (“acorns”), English mast (“fodder for swine and other animals”), which are probably from the same root.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the food category in general; countable when referring to specific types or varieties of meat.

Idioms8 entries

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