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

What to order: The Wagyu beef shawarma, slow-cooked on a vertical spit, is the best protein option on the menu. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024

Even though the menu changes every season, the Wagyu burger is a staple. —Kira Turnbull, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2024

Temescal’s Clove and Hoof was originally a butcher shop selling Wagyu flank and housemade sausages – focusing on whole animals that are raised sustainably – with fridges overflowing with housemade sauces and rich stocks. —Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024

Chefs use fire, smoke, coals and embers to cook meat, seafood, grains and vegetables in dishes such as cedar plank-roasted branzino, Ora King salmon and burrata, lobster arrabbiata spaghetti, baked tagliolini, roasted mushrooms with white truffle oil, tomahawk and Wagyu steaks and more. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024

Main entrees include Wagyu steak and eggs, salmon, filet medallions, berry French toast, and crab Benedict. —Elaine Rewolinski, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024

Guests were met with an ice bar filled with vodka, paté, and caviar before an exquisite sit-down dinner of Toro Sashimi, Seared Kohlrabi, and Wagyu A5 Beef. —Jim Dobson, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

And while other London restaurants offer more expensive individual statement dishes, such as the roughly $800 Wagyu tomahawk at Nusr-Et, Kanesaka’s 18-course set menu is the U.K.’s priciest, with sake pairings adding at least another $180 or so to that bill. —Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 9 Mar. 2024

There are $69 rib-eyes, Wagyu short ribs ($47) and confit chicken wings ($19) with blue cheese from Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. —Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 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