Wagyu

noun

Wa·​gyu ˈwä-(ˌ)gyü 

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

Examples of Wagyu in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Dudley Market’s patties are made with American Wagyu beef in a blend of half hanger, half chuck, which keeps the fat content high. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2024

Finally, American Wagyu fuses the butteriness of traditional Wagyu with the heartiness found in American beef. —Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 12 July 2024

Cost: $175 [TREAT YOURSELF RIGHT: Caviar, Champagne and Wagyu: Experience Charlotte’s most extravagant dining options. —Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 5 July 2024

From Wagyu teppanyaki dinners in its rooftop restaurant to nine holes at one of the country’s only golf courses to a wellness retreat at its new Wellbeing Village; there are endless options at this ultra-luxury, expertly crafted 47-villa island getaway. —Katie Lockhart, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2024

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

Phrases Containing Wagyu

• Wagyu beef