ENGLISH
REFERENCE

steak

n. C / U
A2 Elementary US //ˈsteɪk// UK //stˈeɪk// steak

n. a thick slice of high-quality meat or fish that you cook by grilling or frying. It is usually beef, but you can also have tuna or salmon steaks.

n. a thick, high-quality cut of meat or fish, typically sliced across the muscle grain. While most commonly associated with beef, the term also applies to cross-sections of large fish or thick slices of vegetable alternatives.


SIMPLE

I would like my steak cooked medium-rare.

CONTEXTUAL

The restaurant is famous for its grilled steak served with a side of thick-cut fries and garlic butter.

COMPLEX

The chef carefully seared the steak over high heat to create a flavorful crust while maintaining a tender, juicy interior.

Origin

From Middle English steike, from Old Norse steik (“roast; meat roasted on a stick”). The verb is either from the noun or from steikja (“to roast”). The modern pronunciation shows an irregular change of Early Modern English /ɛː/ to /eɪ/ in the standard language; contrast this with the development of other words such as speak and wreak.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the meat as a substance; countable when referring to individual portions or specific cuts.

Idioms2 entries

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