What does meat mean?
Meat is the flesh of animals used as food, usually eaten after being cooked. In everyday usage, the word may also refer to the main substance or most important part of a matter: for example, the meat of an argument or a report is its central substance. The expression “the meat of the matter” reflects this extension of meaning, in which superficial details are contrasted with what matters most. “Meat” is used in both British and American English and appears in many fixed expressions, including “slice of meat,” “piece of meat,” and “meat and potatoes.” The word is related to an older vocabulary of nourishment and food, but its modern sense has become especially associated with animal flesh rather than food in the broadest sense. It remains a basic word in cooking, nutrition, commerce, and figurative discussion.
nounThe flesh of an animal used as food, usually excluding the bones. By extension, it can mean the essential or most substantial part of something.
- The flesh of an animal used as food.
- The essential, valuable, or most substantial part of something.
- The principal topic, concern, or subject of discussion.
"She grilled the meat and served it with roasted vegetables."
"The butcher recommended a lean cut of meat for the barbecue."
"The report contains the meat of the argument, but little of the supporting detail."
The plural is used when referring to different kinds or portions of meat, as in “a variety of meats.”
"The restaurant serves several regional meats."
The word “meat” has shifted from a general Old English term for food to its familiar modern meaning of animal flesh served on the table.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does meat come from?
The English word “meat” comes from Old English mete, an older word meaning food or nourishment. It developed through Proto-Germanic *mats and has cognates in related Germanic languages, including Old Norse matr and Old Frisian mete. Over time, the meaning narrowed in ordinary use from food generally to the flesh of animals used as food, while figurative meanings connected with nourishment and substance developed alongside the literal sense.
Related word forms
How meat is actually used
In modern English, “meat” most commonly refers to animal flesh used as food. The figurative sense—meaning the central or most important part of something—is common in formal and informal registers alike.
Easily confused with meat
Meat generally refers to animal flesh regarded as food, while flesh can also refer more broadly to the soft tissue of a living body.