Wagyu

noun

Wa·​gyu ˈwä-(ˌ)gyü How to pronounce Wagyu (audio)
variants or less commonly wagyu
plural Wagyu also wagyu
1
: any of four strains of a breed of black or red Japanese cattle valued for their highly marbled meat
In the U.S., Japanese Wagyu cows have been crossbred with those of other breeds to produce unsurpassably tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef.Saveur

Note: Wagyu were developed in Japan in the late 1800s to 1910 by crossbreeding native cattle with European breeds.

2
or Wagyu beef or less commonly wagyu beef : beef from Wagyu cattle
The surface of my Wagyu was intricately laced with delicate veins of off-white fat—by laboratory measurement, three times more marbling fat than U.S. prime-grade beef, though with slightly less cholesterol.Jeffrey Steingarten
Wagyu beef is tender and flavorful because of its intramuscular fat, or marbling.Sam Gugino
compare kobe beef

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Japanese wagyū, from wa "Japan, Japanese" + gyū "cattle, cow"

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Wagyu was in 1963

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wagyu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Wagyu. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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