beef
noun
- meat from cattle
- problem
verb
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L330894 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /bif/ / /biːf/
adj
Etymology: From Middle English beef, bef, beof, borrowed from Anglo-Norman beof, Old French buef, boef (“ox”) (modern French bœuf); from Latin bovem (“ox”), from Proto-Italic *gʷōs, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws. Doublet of cow. Beef in the sense of “a grudge, argument” was originally an American slang expression: * attested as a verb “to complain” in 1888: “He'll beef an' kick like a steer an' let on he won't never wear 'em.”— New York World, 13 May; * attested as a noun “complaint, protest, grievance, sim.” in 1899: “He made a Horrible Beef because he couldn't get Loaf Sugar for his Coffee.”—Fables in Slang (1900) by George Ade, page 80. As to the possible origin of this American usage, it has been suggested that it can be traced back to a British expression for “alarm”, first recorded in 1725: "BEEF 'to alarm, as To cry beef upon us; they have discover'd us, and are in Pursuit of us". The term "beef" in this context would be a Cockney rhyming slang of thief. However, the continuous use of a similar expression, including its assumed semantic shift to 'complaint' in the United States from the 1880s onwards, needs further clarification.
- Being a bovine animal that is being raised for its meat.
“We bought three beef calves this morning.”
- Producing or known for raising lots of beef.
“beef farms”
“beef country”
- Consisting of or containing beef as an ingredient.
“beef stew”
- Beefy; powerful; robust.
“Wow, your audio setup is beef!”
noun
Etymology: From Middle English beef, bef, beof, borrowed from Anglo-Norman beof, Old French buef, boef (“ox”) (modern French bœuf); from Latin bovem (“ox”), from Proto-Italic *gʷōs, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws. Doublet of cow. Beef in the sense of “a grudge, argument” was originally an American slang expression: * attested as a verb “to complain” in 1888: “He'll beef an' kick like a steer an' let on he won't never wear 'em.”— New York World, 13 May; * attested as a noun “complaint, protest, grievance, sim.” in 1899: “He made a Horrible Beef because he couldn't get Loaf Sugar for his Coffee.”—Fables in Slang (1900) by George Ade, page 80. As to the possible origin of this American usage, it has been suggested that it can be traced back to a British expression for “alarm”, first recorded in 1725: "BEEF 'to alarm, as To cry beef upon us; they have discover'd us, and are in Pursuit of us". The term "beef" in this context would be a Cockney rhyming slang of thief. However, the continuous use of a similar expression, including its assumed semantic shift to 'complaint' in the United States from the 1880s onwards, needs further clarification.
- The meat from cattle or other bovines; especially, that from adults.
“I love eating beef.”
“He was cooking beef for lunch.”
- The meat from cattle or other bovines; especially, that from adults.
“lean finely textured beef”
“boneless lean beef trimmings”
- The meat from cattle or other bovines; especially, that from adults.
“Put some beef into it! We've got to get the car over the bump.”
“We've got to get some beef into the enforcement provisions of that law.”
- The meat from cattle or other bovines; especially, that from adults.
“The beef of his paper was a long rant about government.”
- Bovine animals.
“However, there were millions of head of beef roaming the plains of Texas.”
- A bovine (cow or bull) being raised for its meat.
“Do you want to raise beeves?”
“Howbeit, that country bringeth forth certain kinds of goodly great wild bœufes: to wit, the Biſontes, mained with a collar, like Lions: and the Vri, a mightie ſtrong beaſt, and a ſwift: which the ignorant people call Buffles, whereas indeed the Buffle is bred in Affrica, and carieth ſome reſemblance of a calfe rather, or a ſtag.”
- A grudge; dislike (of something or someone); lack of faith or trust (in something or someone); a reason for a dislike or grudge. (often + with)
“He's got beef over what you said.”
“He's got a beef with everyone in the room.”
- A criminal charge.
“I'm in prison for attempting to kill two police officers (a genuine bum beef) and am alleged to be a part of a group of mad bombers.”
“The man most recently murdered is said to have been a key defense witness in the trial of two other Indians facing hanging beefs for their alleged killing of a guard.”
- Fibrous calcite or limestone, especially when occurring in a jagged layer between shales in Dorset.
“Clays, shales, sands, red and green marls, and alum shale, with occasional layers of "beef" (fibrous carbonate of lime) […] Chief "Beef" Beds, Dark (alum) shales with "beef" and selenite, beds of limestone, and layers of perished shells. Cyrena and Cyrides. Corbula Beds. Layers of shelly limestone, shale, alum shale, and marl, with "beef" and selenite.”
“Medium-grey paper shales with beef.”
verb
Etymology: From Middle English beef, bef, beof, borrowed from Anglo-Norman beof, Old French buef, boef (“ox”) (modern French bœuf); from Latin bovem (“ox”), from Proto-Italic *gʷōs, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws. Doublet of cow. Beef in the sense of “a grudge, argument” was originally an American slang expression: * attested as a verb “to complain” in 1888: “He'll beef an' kick like a steer an' let on he won't never wear 'em.”— New York World, 13 May; * attested as a noun “complaint, protest, grievance, sim.” in 1899: “He made a Horrible Beef because he couldn't get Loaf Sugar for his Coffee.”—Fables in Slang (1900) by George Ade, page 80. As to the possible origin of this American usage, it has been suggested that it can be traced back to a British expression for “alarm”, first recorded in 1725: "BEEF 'to alarm, as To cry beef upon us; they have discover'd us, and are in Pursuit of us". The term "beef" in this context would be a Cockney rhyming slang of thief. However, the continuous use of a similar expression, including its assumed semantic shift to 'complaint' in the United States from the 1880s onwards, needs further clarification.
- To complain.
““Don't you like the Red Room?” “The Red Room!” I gathered from his manner that he had not come to beef about his sleeping accommodation.”
“"Who's Precious?" she beefed when she saw the big tattoo running down my inner arm.”
- To add weight or strength to.
“First off, the axle housing was beefed by welding areas where extreme loading is evident (black marked areas).”
- To fart; break wind.
“Ugh, who just beefed in here?”
- To cry.
“David was beefing last night after Ruth told him off.”
- To fail or mess up.
“I beefed my presentation hard yesterday.”
- To feud or hold a grudge against.
“Those two are beefing right now — best you stay out of it.”
- To sing or speak loudly; to cry out.