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

Examples of Wagyu in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The gastropub-style menu features elevated hot dog dishes, a Snake River Farms Wagyu beef burger, chili nachos and a large beer menu. Oeste Bar: Located in the hotel’s atrium, Oeste is a bar specializing in cocktails that celebrate Mexican flavors and heritage and a large selection of tequilas. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 May 2025 May 13, 2025 3 AM PT Plus, a Wagyu steakhouse expands (with one of the city’s best cheesesteaks) A trendy Chicago sandwich shop lands in L.A. Dine Latino Restaurant Week kicks off, and more. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2025 South Chicago Packing, an Illinois company that specializes in producing different fats has a novel solution to all that: Wagyu Beef Tallow Spray. Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 May 2025 But the breathtaking audacity of imagining Paramount+’s German office as a Nazi war room raises the beef to A5 Japanese Wagyu levels, right along with casting an actor who speaks like a nefarious officer in a WWII movie. Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Wagyu

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 23 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!