What does bacon mean?
Bacon is cured meat from a pig — most commonly the belly in American usage, the back in British usage — that is sliced into thin strips and cooked by frying, grilling, or baking until crisp. It is one of the most familiar foods in English-speaking countries, prized for its salty, smoky flavor and its fat, which renders during cooking and adds richness to everything from breakfast plates to salads and sandwiches. The word functions almost exclusively as an everyday noun: people speak of rashers, streaky bacon, back bacon, and dishes like bacon and eggs without any formality. Beyond the kitchen, bacon has entered figurative language, most famously in the idiom 'to bring home the bacon,' meaning to earn a living or achieve success. Its connotations are reliably positive and indulgent, making it a byword for savory comfort food across cultures.
nounCured meat taken from the sides, belly, or back of a pig, typically sliced into thin strips and fried or grilled. In British usage the term often refers specifically to back bacon, while American bacon is usually made from pork belly.
- Cured pork from the back, side, or belly of a pig, sliced thin and cooked by frying or grilling (the dominant sense in both Britain and America).
- A single slice or strip of this meat (a 'rasher' of bacon).
"She cooked the bacon until it was crisp and drained it on a paper towel."
"The kitchen filled with the smell of sizzling bacon."
"He wrapped the dates in bacon before roasting them."
The phrase 'bringing home the bacon' may date back to medieval England, where a whole side of bacon was awarded to couples who could swear they hadn't argued for a year and a day.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bacon
Bacon derives from Old French 'bacun,' which itself traces back to Germanic roots relating to the back or flanks of the animal where the meat was cut. It entered Middle English as 'bacoun' and has referred to cured pork since at least the medieval period, when it was a staple preserved food for ordinary households. Related terms include 'flitch' (a side of bacon) and 'gammon' (hind-leg cured pork), reflecting the same butchering tradition.
Related word forms
How bacon is actually used
Bacon is an everyday, informal word with overwhelmingly positive, appetizing connotations. Regional differences matter: British 'back bacon' includes a lean loin eye alongside the streaky belly, while American bacon ('streaky bacon' in British terms) comes entirely from the pork belly. Canadian bacon refers to cured pork loin. The word carries no formal register and appears freely in both cooking and figurative idioms.
Easily confused with bacon
Bacon is cured pork; baking is the process of cooking food in an oven — they merely share a similar sound.
Beckon means to signal someone with a gesture or nod, whereas bacon is a cured pork product.