beef

noun

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\ ˈbēf

plural beefs\ ˈbēfs

\ or beeves\ ˈbēvz

Definition of beef

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the flesh of an adult domestic bovine (such as a steer or cow) used as food

2a : an ox, cow, or bull in a full-grown or nearly full-grown state especially : a steer or cow fattened for food quality Texas beeves a herd of good beef

b : a dressed carcass of a beef animal

3 : muscular flesh : brawn

4 plural beefs : complaint

beef

verb

beefed; beefing; beefs

Definition of beef (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to increase or add substance, strength, or power to —usually used with up money to beef up its staff of professional economists— John Fischer

intransitive verb

: complain always beefing about something

Illustration of beef

Noun

beef 2b: A wholesale cuts: 1 shank, 2 round with rump and shank cut off, 3 rump, 4 sirloin, 5 short loin, 6 flank, 7 rib, 8 chuck, 9 plate, 10 brisket, 11 shank; B retail cuts: a heel pot roast, b round steak, c rump roast, d sirloin steak, e pinbone steak, f short ribs, g porterhouse, h T-bone, i club steak, j flank steak, k rib roast, l blade rib roast, m plate, n brisket, o crosscut shank, p arm pot roast, q boneless neck, r blade roast

In the meaning defined above

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing beef Learn More About beef

Examples of beef in a Sentence

Noun I'm not eating as much beef as I used to. My real beef is with the organization's president, not the group itself. Verb She's always beefing about something. he tends to stand around and beef for hours about any slight, real or imagined

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The fatal shooting of Zhiwen Yan, 45, on Saturday could be linked to a long-running beef between the unidentified customer and the Great Wall restaurant in Forest Hills, Queens, the New York Post reported. — Fox News, 2 May 2022 And then meats, vegetables and other ingredients from cubed ham to smoked salmon, crab meat to ground beef and all manner of vegetables like broccoli, spinach, asparagus along with a variety of cheeses. — Robin Miller, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2022 Soy crumble is an analogue to ground beef for vegan sloppy Joe sandwiches. — Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2022 And then meats, vegetables and other ingredients from cubed ham to smoked salmon, crab meat to ground beef and all manner of vegetables like broccoli, spinach, asparagus along with a variety of cheeses. — Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 13 Apr. 2022 From fish to beef to chicken, keeping frozen cuts of meat close by simplifies dinner prep and gives you options. — Lauren Manaker Ms, Rdn, Health.com, 28 Mar. 2022 The economic concentration of the meat industry is not confined to beef. — Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 3 Mar. 2022 No, that's not a reference to Kanye West's inevitable rap beef with Pete Davidson. — Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 16 Jan. 2022 Anything from an Irish stew to a French beef Bourguignon suits my fancy. — New York Times, 29 Oct. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Malyar, the deputy defense minister, said the Russians have continued to hit Mariupol with airstrikes and could be getting ready for an amphibious landing to beef up their ground forces. — Adam Schreck And Mstyslav Chernov, chicagotribune.com, 17 Apr. 2022 The House committee added a few new items aimed at specific initiatives, including the following: $15 million for the Alabama Numeracy Act, which would beef up math instruction in early grades. — al, 7 Mar. 2022 Biden officials have pointed to the emergence of the virus’s omicron variant as another reason to beef up requirements that people get vaccinated. — Washington Post, 17 Dec. 2021 The Irish also decided to beef up their support staff with more recruiting help. — Tyler James, The Indianapolis Star, 17 Apr. 2021 That's because many employers are trying to beef up their benefits in a bid to attract and retain employees. — Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 17 Feb. 2022 The state is trying to beef up efforts to get people vaccinated after a slower-than-hoped initial rollout. — Chronicle Staff, SFChronicle.com, 21 Jan. 2021 Food companies in particular blamed pandemic disruptions, inflation and strong consumer demand for higher prices, with pork and beef up 14% and 20%, respectively, versus a year ago. — Kate Gibson, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2022 In the event of large migration numbers along the border, Customs and Border Protection is prepared to more than double their air and bus transportation capabilities and beef up CBP agents at surge points. — Luke Barr, ABC News, 29 Mar. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'beef.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.