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Definition of corned beef
corned beef
corned beef Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
6
Tier
2
Usage
Top 10k
• noun
1
American A cut of beef, typically brisket, that has been cured in a seasoned brine and is usually slow-cooked or boiled before being served sliced.
Example
"Every March, the local deli serves traditional platters of hot corned beef and cabbage."
2
British Minced, salted beef that has been cooked and pressed into a solid block, typically sold in a distinctive rectangular tin and eaten cold.
Example
"She made a batch of hearty sandwiches using thickly sliced tomatoes and tinned corned beef."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for corned beefWord Nuance & Usage
In American English, corned beef refers to a whole cut of cured brisket typically served hot and sliced, whereas in British English, it generally denotes finely minced, canned salt beef.
• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Corned beef. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/corned beef