bacon

¹ American  

[bey-kuhn] / ˈbeɪ kən /

noun

1. the back and sides of the hog, salted and dried or smoked, usually sliced thin and fried for food.

2. Also called white bacon.  South Midland and Southern U.S. pork cured in brine; salt pork.

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idioms

1. bring home the bacon,

   1. to provide for material needs; earn a living.

   2. to accomplish a task; be successful or victorious.

      Our governor went to Washington to appeal for disaster relief and brought home the bacon—$40 million.

2. save one's bacon, to allow one to accomplish a desired end; spare one from injury or loss.

   Quick thinking saved our bacon.

Bacon ² American  

[bey-kuhn] / ˈbeɪ kən /

noun

1. Francis Baron Verulam, Viscount St. Albans, 1561–1626, English essayist, philosopher, and statesman.

2. Francis, 1910–92, English painter, born in Ireland.

3. Henry, 1866–1924, U.S. architect.

4. Nathaniel, 1647–76, American colonist, born in England: leader of a rebellion in Virginia 1676.

5. Roger The Admirable Doctor, 1214?–94?, English philosopher and scientist.

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bacon ¹ British  

/ ˈbeɪkən /

noun

1. meat from the back and sides of a pig, dried, salted, and usually smoked

2. informal

   1. to achieve success

   2. to provide material support

3. informal to help someone to escape from danger

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Bacon ² British  

/ ˈbeɪkən /

noun

1. Francis , Baron Verulam, Viscount St Albans. 1561–1626, English philosopher, statesman, and essayist; described the inductive method of reasoning: his works include Essays (1625), The Advancement of Learning (1605), and Novum Organum (1620)

2. Francis . 1909–92, British painter, born in Dublin, noted for his distorted, richly coloured human figures, dogs, and carcasses

3. Roger . ?1214–92, English Franciscan monk, scholar, and scientist: stressed the importance of experiment, demonstrated that air is required for combustion, and first used lenses to correct vision. His Opus Majus (1266) is a compendium of all the sciences of his age

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Bacon Scientific  

/ bā′kən /

1. English scientist and philosopher who is noted for the wide range of his knowledge and writing on scientific topics. Bacon pioneered the idea that mathematics is fundamental to science and that experimentation is essential to test scientific theories.

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bacon More Idioms  

1. see bring home the bacon; save one's bacon.

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Etymology

Origin of bacon

1300–50; Middle English bacoun < Anglo-French; Old French bacon < Germanic *bakōn- ( Old High German bacho back, ham, bacon) derivative of *baka- back ¹; compare Middle Dutch bake bacon

Explanation

Bacon is a thin, salty meat product that's often served beside eggs at breakfast. Some people like their bacon cooked until it's crispy. If you're a vegetarian, you might order a BLT and say, "Hold the bacon, please." Bacon comes from the belly or the sides of a pig, and it's typically swirled with fat, cured or smoked, and very flavorful. The word and the food have been around since at least the early 14th century, from a Proto-Germanic root, bakkon, or "back meat." Since the early 1900s, "bringing home the bacon" has been slang for earning a living.

Example Sentences

The protein shifted, too, from bacon to a combination that felt more complete: spicy pork sausage for depth, tender chicken breast for substance.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026

Crispy bacon bits, poppy pickled onions, hunks of avocado, corn nuts, everything bagel seasoning, za’atar, toasted breadcrumbs, torn herbs.

From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026

In order to be a guest or a host, you have to roll with the prospect of bad reviews, with or without bacon and beer.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

He listed the goodies money could buy: sausages, ham, coffee, bacon, soap, ladies’ stockings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Then she goes back to the kitchen and returns with a bowl I know is full of piping-hot pimento cheese grits, and a platter of thick Black Forest bacon.

From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone

Related Words

• pancetta
• pork