beef

[ beef ]

noun

, plural beeves [beevz] beefs

1. the flesh of a cow, steer, or bull raised and killed for its meat.
2. an adult cow, steer, or bull raised for its meat.
3. Informal.
   1. brawn; muscular strength.
   2. strength; power.
   3. weight, as of a person.
   4. human flesh.
4. Slang.
   1. a complaint.
   2. an argument or dispute.

verb (used without object)

1. Slang. to complain; grumble.

verb phrase

1. 1. to add strength, numbers, force, etc., to; strengthen:

      During the riots, the nighttime patrol force was beefed up with volunteers.

   2. to increase or add to:

      to beef up our fringe benefits.

beef

/ biːf /

noun

1. the flesh of various bovine animals, esp the cow, when killed for eating
2. beevesbiːvz an adult ox, bull, cow, etc, reared for its meat
3. informal.
   human flesh, esp when muscular
4. beefs a complaint

verb

1. slang.
   intr to complain, esp repeatedly

   he was beefing about his tax

2. informal.
   troften foll byup to strengthen; reinforce

Other Words From

• beefless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of beef¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; 1885–90 beef fordef 5; Middle English, from Anglo-French beof, Old French boef, from Latin bov- (stem of bōs ) “ox, cow”; akin to cow ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of beef¹

C13: from Old French boef , from Latin bōs ox; see cow ¹

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with beef , also see where's the beef .

Example Sentences

My brother has always had an obsession with Beef Wellington.

From Salon

We get our beef on Wednesdays, clean it and create all the necessary components including the crepes, mushroom duxelle and puff pastry on Thursdays.

From Salon

Before the east and west coast rap beef of the 1990s boiled over with the murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious BIG, legendary producer Quincy Jones called a secret meeting at which he appealed for an end to the violence.

From BBC

The beef continued at the Source magazine awards on 3 August 1995, when Knight goaded Combs and Bad Boy Records from the stage.

From BBC

The brewing east-west beef wasn't the only reason Jones called it - it was mainly intended to discuss the state of hip-hop and let the new generation hear life and business advice from a group of highly successful black executives.

From BBC

Related Words

• meat