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Webster 1913 Edition


Beef

Beef

(bēf)
,
Noun.
[OE.
boef
,
befe
,
beef
, OF.
boef
,
buef
, F.
bœef
, fr. L.
bos
,
bovis
, ox; akin to Gr.
βοῦς
, Skr.
gō
cow, and E.
cow
. See 2d
Cow
.]
1.
An animal of the genus
Bos
, especially the common species,
Bos taurus
, including the bull, cow, and ox, in their full grown state; esp., an ox or cow fattened for food.
[In this, which is the original sense, the word has a plural, beeves
(bēvz)
.]
A herd of
beeves
, fair oxen and fair kine.
Milton.
2.
The flesh of an ox, or cow, or of any adult bovine animal, when slaughtered for food.
[In this sense, the word has no plural.]
“Great meals of beef.”
Shak.
3.
Applied colloquially to human flesh.

Beef

(bēf)
,
Adj.
Of, pertaining to, or resembling, beef.
Beef tea
,
essence of beef, or strong beef broth.

Webster 1828 Edition


Beef

BEEF

,
Noun.
[L. bos,bovis; Gr.Bous.]
1.
An animal of the bovine genus,whether ox, bull or cow; but used of those which are full grown or nearly so. In this, which is the original sense, the word has a plural, beeves.
2.
The flesh of an ox, bull, or cow, when killed. In popular language, the word is often applied to the live animal; as, an ox is good beef; that is,is well fattened. In this sense,the word has no plural.

BEEF

,
Adj.
Consisting of the flesh of the ox, or bovine kind; as a beef-steak.

Definition 2024


beef

beef

English

Noun

beef (plural beef or beefs or beeves)

  1. (uncountable) The meat from a cow, bull, or other bovine.
    I love eating beef.
    1. (in the meat industry, on product packaging) The edible portions of a cow (including those which are not meat).
      lean finely textured beef
      boneless lean beef trimmings
    2. (uncountable) Bovine animals.
      • 2010 October 21, “Who's the real McCoy? Abilene's Joseph in 8 Wonders contest”, in Abilene Recorder Chronicle:
        However, there were millions of head of beef roaming the plains of Texas.
    3. (archaic, countable, plural: beeves) A single bovine (cow or bull) being raised for its meat.
      Do you want to raise beeves?
    4. (by extension, slang, uncountable) Muscle or musculature; size, strength or potency.
      Put some beef into it! We've got to get the car over the bump.
      We've got to get some beef into the enforcement provisions of that law.
    5. (figuratively, slang, uncountable) Essence, content; the important part of a document or project.
      The beef of his paper was a long rant about government.
  2. (slang, countable or uncountable, plural: beefs) A grudge; dislike (of something or someone); lack of faith or trust (in something or someone); a reason for a dislike or grudge. (often + with)
    He's got a beef with everyone in the room.
    He's got beef over what you said.
    Remember what happened last fall? That's his beef with me.

Synonyms

Hyponyms

  • (meat of a cow): veal

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also

Verb

beef (third-person singular simple present beefs, present participle beefing, simple past and past participle beefed)

  1. (intransitive) To complain.
    • 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, “chapter X”, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, OCLC 1227855:
      He lost no time in bursting into speech. “Bertie! I've been hunting for you all over the place!” “I was having a chat with Swordfish in his pantry. Something wrong?” “Something wrong!” “Don't you like the Red Room?” “The Red Room!” I gathered from his manner that he had not come to beef about his sleeping accommodation. “Then what is your little trouble?”
  2. (transitive) To add weight or strength to, usually as beef up.
    Since you stopped running, you are really beefing out.
  3. (intransitive, slang) To fart.
    Ugh, who just beefed in here?
  4. (African American Vernacular, intransitive, slang) To feud or hold a grudge against.
    Those two are beefing right now - best you stay out of it for now.
  5. (intransitive, chiefly Yorkshire) To cry
    David was beefing last night after Ruth told him off

Derived terms

Adjective

beef (not comparable)

  1. Being a bovine animal that is being raised for its meat.
    We bought three beef calves this morning.
  2. Producing or known for raising lots of beef.
    beef farms
    beef country
  3. Consisting of or containing beef as an ingredient.
    beef stew

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams


Afrikaans

Verb

beef (present beef, present participle bewende, past participle gebeef)

  1. Alternative form of bewe

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -eːf

Verb

beef

  1. first-person singular present indicative of beven
  2. imperative of beven