meat
A1Neutral/Standard
Definition
Meaning
The edible flesh of an animal, used as food.
The most substantial or interesting part of something; the essence or core.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily uncountable. Refers to animal flesh as a food substance in general, not to a specific piece (for which 'piece of meat' or 'cut' is used). Distinct from 'flesh' (physical tissue) and 'poultry', 'fish', 'game', which are often named specifically.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In UK, 'minced meat' = 'ground meat' in US. 'Meat' is often paired with 'two veg' in the traditional UK meal phrase 'meat and two veg'. In US, 'meat' can be used more broadly in compounds like 'meat space' (physical world vs. digital).
Connotations
In both, connotations can be positive (strength, substance) or negative (animal cruelty, excessive masculinity).
Frequency
Equally high frequency. Usage in compound nouns may differ (e.g., UK 'meat safe', US 'meat locker').
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
eat [no object] meatcook/prepare the meatthe meat of [something] (figurative)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “meat and drink to someone”
- “one man's meat is another man's poison”
- “meat on the bones”
- “dead meat”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Referring to the core profitable part of a business ('the meat of the deal').
Academic
Rare. May appear in nutritional, biological, or anthropological studies.
Everyday
Extremely common in discussions of food, diet, cooking, and shopping.
Technical
Used in food science, butchery, and culinary arts with specific classifications (e.g., 'mechanically separated meat').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He meated up the stew with extra lamb.
adjective
British English
- A meat pie is a classic pub dish.
American English
- He's looking for a meatier role in his next film.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I don't eat meat.
- We bought some meat for dinner.
- Do you like meat?
- She prefers white meat like chicken to red meat.
- The price of meat has gone up again.
- You need to defrost the meat before cooking.
- The report was long, but the real meat of it was in the final section.
- Processed meats are often high in salt and preservatives.
- He argued for reducing our meat consumption for environmental reasons.
- The novel is entertaining, but it lacks the philosophical meat of her earlier work.
- Criticism is meat and drink to him; he thrives on it.
- The negotiations are ongoing, but we haven't gotten to the meat of the contract yet.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
You MEET to eat MEAT. The long 'ea' sound is the same as in 'eat'.
Conceptual Metaphor
SUBSTANCE/IMPORTANCE IS MEAT ('the meat of the argument', 'a meaty role').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'meat' for specific cooked dishes like 'fried meat' – use the specific animal name (beef, pork) or 'cutlet', 'steak'.
- Russian 'мясо' is a direct equivalent for the food substance.
- Do not confuse with 'meet' (verb).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'a meat' (incorrect for uncountable general sense).
- Misspelling as 'meet'.
- Overusing 'meat' when a specific type (poultry, fish) is meant.
Practice
Quiz
In the idiom 'one man's meat is another man's poison', 'meat' metaphorically means:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In culinary and everyday contexts, often not. 'Meat' typically refers to land animal flesh. In biological, vegetarian, or religious contexts, fish may be included.
'Flesh' is the physical tissue of any animal or human. 'Meat' specifically refers to animal flesh used as food. 'Flesh' has broader and sometimes more graphic connotations.
Very rarely, and usually in specific, non-food contexts (e.g., 'the meats of different arguments'). For food, it is uncountable; use 'types/kinds of meat' or 'meats' only when listing distinct types (e.g., 'a platter of cold meats').
It describes something substantial, full of interesting content, or requiring serious thought (e.g., 'a meaty book', 'a meaty discussion').
Collections
Part of a collection
Food and Drink
A1 · 49 words · Common words for food, drink and meals.
Food and Cooking
A2 · 50 words · Cooking methods, kitchen tools and recipes.