beef

1 of 2

noun

ˈbēf How to pronounce beef (audio)
plural beefs ˈbēfs How to pronounce beef (audio) or beeves ˈbēvz How to pronounce beef (audio)
Synonyms of beefnext
1
: the flesh of an adult domestic bovine (such as a steer or cow) used as food
2
a
: an ox, cow, or bull in a full-grown or nearly full-grown state
especially : a steer or cow fattened for food
quality Texas beeves
a herd of good beef
b
: a dressed carcass of a beef animal
3
: muscular flesh : brawn
4
plural beefs : complaint

Illustration of beef

Illustration of beef
  • A wholesale cuts
  • 1 shank
  • 2 round with rump and shank cut off
  • 3 rump
  • 4 sirloin
  • 5 short loin
  • 6 flank
  • 7 rib
  • 8 chuck
  • 9 plate
  • 10 brisket
  • 11 shank
  • B retail cuts
  • a heel pot roast
  • b round steak
  • c rump roast
  • d sirloin steak
  • e pinbone steak
  • f short ribs
  • g porterhouse
  • h T-bone
  • i club steak
  • j flank steak
  • k rib roast
  • l blade rib roast
  • m plate
  • n brisket
  • o crosscut shank
  • p arm pot roast
  • q boneless neck
  • r blade roast

beef

2 of 2

verb

beefed; beefing; beefs

transitive verb

: to increase or add substance, strength, or power to
—usually used with up
… money to beef up its staff of professional economists …—John Fischer

intransitive verb

: complain
always beefing about something

Synonyms of beef

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Noun

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of beef in a Sentence

Noun I'm not eating as much beef as I used to. My real beef is with the organization's president, not the group itself. Verb She's always beefing about something. he tends to stand around and beef for hours about any slight, real or imagined
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Raw beef battuta with pecorino cream and Greek truffle shavings is a knock-out, but most dishes are wood-fired or cooked on the parilla grill. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Apr. 2026 The facility, also known by its subsidiary name, Swift Beef Company, processes as much as 8% of the country’s beef. —Katie Langford, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
Try it as a side dish to rice, mixed into a salad dressing to beef it up, or as a marinade. —Jahnavi Rapaka, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2026 Add onions to beef in Dutch oven, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beef is well browned, 6 to 8 minutes. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for beef

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French beof, bef ox, beef, from Latin bov-, bos head of cattle — more at cow

Verb

verbal derivative of beef entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1860, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of beef was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing beef

Rhymes for beef

See All Rhymes for beef

Browse Nearby Words

bee-escape
beef
beef's blood
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beef.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beef. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.

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Kids Definition

beef

1 of 2 noun
ˈbēf How to pronounce beef (audio)
plural beefs ˈbēfs How to pronounce beef (audio) or beeves ˈbēvz How to pronounce beef (audio)
1
: the flesh of a steer, cow, or bull
2
: a steer, cow, or bull especially when fattened for food
3
plural beefs : complaint sense 1
beeflike
-ˌlīk
adjective

beef

2 of 2 verb
1
: to add weight, strength, or power to
—usually used with up
beef up the staff
2
: complain sense 1

Medical Definition

beef

noun
ˈbēf How to pronounce beef (audio)
plural beefs ˈbēfs How to pronounce beef (audio) or beeves ˈbēvz How to pronounce beef (audio)
: the flesh of an adult domestic bovine (as a steer or cow) used as food

More from Merriam-Webster on beef

Nglish: Translation of beef for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about beef

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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