beef
beef Lexical Profile
beef Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The culinary flesh of a cow, bull, or ox, typically prepared and consumed as food.
"We enjoyed a hearty winter stew made with root vegetables and slow-cooked beef."
A complaint, grievance, or ongoing dispute with someone (Informal).
"If you have a beef with the new company policy, you should bring it up constructively at the meeting."
Physical strength, muscle, or robust power (Informal).
"The defensive line needed a little more beef to successfully stop the opposing team's running game."
• verb
To add strength, size, weight, or substance to something (typically followed by 'up').
"The university decided to beef up campus security following a series of minor trespassing incidents."
To complain, grumble, or argue persistently about a matter (Informal).
"The players started to beef with the referee over the controversial penalty call."
Word Nuance & Usage
A famous example of the linguistic divide resulting from the Norman Conquest; English speakers use the French-derived 'beef' for the culinary meat, while retaining the Germanic 'cow' for the living animal.
• Rhymes for beef
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'beef', borrowed from Anglo-Norman 'beof' and Old French 'buef', ultimately from Latin 'bōs' (ox, cow).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.