Meat — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈmēt/

Meaning & Definition of Meat

Meat (noun)

  1. food; especially, solid food as distinguished from drink
  2. the edible part of something as distinguished from its covering (such as a husk or shell)
  3. animal tissue considered especially as food:

Meat (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. animal and especially mammal tissue used as food

    "we need to go shopping; there's only enough meat in the freezer for one more dinner"

    similar: flesh
    related: game, poultry, red meat, variety meat

  2. substances intended to be eaten

    "offered his guests meat and drink"

    similar: bread, chow, chuck (chiefly West), comestibles, eatables, eats, edibles, fare, food, foodstuffs, grub, provender, provisions, table, tucker (chiefly Australian), viands, victuals, vittles
    related: commissary, rations, supplies, aliment, nutriment, diet, nourishment, nurture, sustenance, mess, pap, ensilage, feed, fodder, forage, silage, slop, swill, feast, meal, refreshments, regale, repast, spread, board, dish, plate, platter, serving, finger food, natural food
    near: bane, poison, toxin, venom

  3. the central part or aspect of something under consideration

    "he dances all around it without ever addressing the meat of the issue"

    similar: bottom line, bull's-eye, centerpiece, core, crux, essence, gist, heart, kernel, keynote, meat and potatoes, net, nub, nubbin, nucleus, pith, pivot, point, root, sum, sum and substance, the long and short
    related: course, direction, drift, tenor, body, content, substance, hypothesis, proposition, purport, subject, theme, thesis

Related Entry: Meat-and-potatoes (adjective)

Meat-and-potatoes is a different word from Meat. The synonyms below are for meat-and-potatoes, not for meat.

  1. of or relating to the simplest facts or theories of a subject

    "a meat-and-potatoes knowledge of figure skating is all that a spectator really needs"

    similar: abecedarian, basal, basic, beginning, elemental, elementary, essential, fundamental, introductory, rudimental, rudimentary, underlying
    related: primal, primary, prime, simple, crude, primeval, primitive, primordial, rude, uncomplicated, preliminary, preparatory, crucial, important, key
    opposite: advanced
    near: complex, sophisticated, complicated, convoluted, detailed, elaborate, extensive, intricate, developed, evolved, high, higher, refined

Related Entry: Meat and potatoes (plural noun)

Meat and potatoes is a different word from Meat. The synonyms below are for meat and potatoes, not for meat.

  1. the central part or aspect of something under consideration

    "an article that never gets into the meat and potatoes of a solution to the city's rising crime rate"

    similar: bottom line, bull's-eye, centerpiece, core, crux, essence, gist, heart, kernel, keynote, meat, net, nub, nubbin, nucleus, pith, pivot, point, root, sum, sum and substance, the long and short
    related: course, direction, drift, tenor, body, content, substance, hypothesis, proposition, purport, subject, theme, thesis

Related Entry: Red meat (noun)

Red meat is a different word from Meat. The synonyms below are for red meat, not for meat.

  1. as in game, variety meat

    similar: game, poultry, variety meat, flesh, meat

Related Entry: Variety meat (noun)

Variety meat is a different word from Meat. The synonyms below are for variety meat, not for meat.

  1. as in game, red meat

    similar: game, poultry, red meat, flesh, meat

  2. as in chitterlings, giblet(s)

    similar: chitterlings, giblet(s), bowel(s), intestine(s), entrails, gut, innards, inside(s), inwards, viscera, vitals

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Meat

The most common words with a similar meaning to Meat:

Chiefly West: chuck
Chiefly Australian: tucker
flesh, bread, chow, comestibles, eatables, eats, edibles, fare, food, foodstuffs, grub, provender, provisions, table, viands, victuals, vittles, bottom line, bull's-eye, centerpiece, core, crux, essence, gist, heart, kernel, keynote, meat and potatoes, net, nub, nubbin, nucleus, pith, pivot, point, root, sum, sum and substance, the long and short

Related Words for Meat

game, poultry, red meat, variety meat, commissary, rations, supplies, aliment, nutriment, diet, nourishment, nurture, sustenance, mess, pap, ensilage, feed, fodder, forage, silage, slop, swill, feast, meal, refreshments, regale, repast, spread, board, dish

Near Antonyms of Meat

bane, poison, toxin, venom

Word Forms of Meat

Derived words: meated (adjective), meatless (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Meat

Middle English mete "food, meal," going back to Old English, going back to Germanic *mati- (whence Old Saxon meti, mat "food," Old High German maz, Old Norse matr, Gothic mats), perhaps going back to Indo-European *mod-i-, derivative of a verbal base *med- "become full," whence Greek mestós "full, satiated"

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Meat

Words & Phrases Containing Meat

meat-and-potatoes, meat and potatoes, meat-ax, meat loaf, meat market, meat sweats, dead meat, red meat, variety meat

Frequently Asked Questions about Meat

What does "Meat" mean?

"Meat" means food; especially, solid food as distinguished from drink. As a noun, it is defined as: food; especially, solid food as distinguished from drink. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Meat"?

Other words for "Meat" include flesh, bread, chow, chuck, comestibles, eatables, eats and edibles. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Meat" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Meat"?

There are 89 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Meat". Common alternatives include flesh, bread, chow, chuck, comestibles, eatables, eats, edibles, fare and food.

How do you use "Meat" in a sentence?

Examples of "Meat" in a sentence: "we need to go shopping; there's only enough meat in the freezer for one more dinner"; "offered his guests meat and drink"; "he dances all around it without ever addressing the meat of the issue".

Is "Meat" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Meat" is a noun.

Is "Meat" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Meat" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Meat"?

"Meat" is pronounced /ˈmēt/.

What is the origin of the word "Meat"?

"Meat" comes from Middle English mete "food, meal," going back to Old English, going back to Germanic *mati- (whence Old Saxon meti, mat "food," Old High German maz, Old Norse matr, Gothic mats), perhaps going back to Indo-European *mod-i-, derivative of a verbal base *med- "become full," whence Greek mestós "full, satiated". First known use: before 12th century.