meat
meat — noun
1. flesh taken from an animal's body, used as food that people cook and eat
flesh taken from an animal's body, used as food that people cook and eat
Marta does not eat meat, so I made a vegetable curry for dinner.
uncountable use — 'eat meat' / 'some meat'
Reuben grilled the meat over charcoal until it was perfectly brown on the outside.
Lan bought fresh meat from the butcher and marinated it overnight.
The meat in this stew is so tender that it falls apart with a fork.
Anthony prefers white meat over red meat for health reasons.
- flesh
more general term covering any animal or human tissue; 'meat' is only for food
- vegetable
plant-based food, opposite of meat in a meal context
用法筆記
Uncountable in this sense — you cannot say 'a meat' when referring to animal flesh in general. 'Meats' (plural) is possible but only means 'types of meat' (see sense 2).
常見錯誤
2. one of the kinds of meat that people eat, for example beef, chicken, or pork
one of the kinds of meat that people eat, for example beef, chicken, or pork
Lamb is a tender meat that goes well with rosemary and garlic.
countable use — 'a tender meat' = a type of meat
The menu offers a choice of three meats: chicken, beef, or fish.
Pork is a versatile meat used in dishes from many different cultures.
The chef explained that veal is a delicate meat which should not be overcooked.
用法筆記
Countable only when distinguishing one type from another. In everyday conversation, 'What meat is this?' is more common than 'Which meat is this?' — the uncountable form often works even when asking about types.
3. the valuable or meaningful content at the centre of a speech, argument, or piece
the valuable or meaningful content at the centre of a speech, argument, or piece of writing
The first hour of the lecture was jokes, but the real meat came in the second hour.
collocation: 'the meat of' a lecture / argument / report
Ayesha says the meat of the report is in the final chapter about cost savings.
Skip the introduction and read the meat of the article first.
Meera felt the meat of the discussion was about cutting costs, not new products.
- padding
unimportant material added to fill space
文法句型
the meat of [something]
常見錯誤
4. the soft, edible part inside a hard shell of a nut, seed, or fruit
the soft, edible part inside a hard shell of a nut, seed, or fruit
Sirin cracked the walnut and picked out the meat with a small fork.
uncountable: 'the meat' of a single nut
Coconut meat is white and can be eaten raw or used in baking.
collocation: 'coconut meat'
The meat inside a pistachio shell is small but full of flavour.
Soraya roasted the chestnuts and dug the hot meat out of the shells.
- shell
the hard outer covering that protects the meat
用法筆記
More common for specific nuts (walnut meat, coconut meat) than for general use. For most fruits, 'flesh' is the preferred term ('the flesh of a peach').
5. something that a person enjoys very much or is naturally well suited to — for ex
something that a person enjoys very much or is naturally well suited to — for example, a topic that someone loves to discuss or an activity they excel at
Debating economic policy is Shirin's meat — she can talk about it for hours.
pattern: '[something] is [someone's] meat'
Complex logic puzzles are exactly the kind of meat Rafael enjoys.
Historical fiction has always been Talia's meat since she was a child.
Woodworking is right up Anthony's alley — that craft is his meat.
- forte
more formal; focuses on skill rather than enjoyment
- cup of tea
more common in modern English; also informal
文法句型
be [someone's] meat
用法筆記
Slightly dated in modern English. More common in fixed phrases such as 'meat and drink to someone'. For everyday conversation, phrases like 'cup of tea' or 'right up someone's alley' are more natural alternatives.