white meat

noun

1. any meat that is light-colored before cooking, as veal or chicken ( red meat ).
2. meat that is light-colored after cooking, as veal or breast of chicken or of turkey ( dark meat ).
3. Slang: Vulgar. a white person considered as a sexual partner.
4. Southern U.S. salt pork, fatback, or other pork without any lean.
5. Archaic. food made from milk.

white meat

noun

1. any meat that is light in colour, such as veal or the breast of turkey Compare red meat

Word History and Origins

Origin of white meat¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425

Example Sentences

The findings around chicken and other white meat were less clear.

From BBC

“From a nutritional perspective,” said Zach Koehn, a nutrition researcher at Stanford University’s Center for Ocean Solutions, “it’s kind of like the white meat of the sea.”

From Seattle Times

Skinless chicken and turkey breast meat — aka white meat — sold whole or as cutlets or fillets, are the leanest poultry choices.

From Seattle Times

The prison had brought Hancock the wrong last meal the night before, white meat from Kentucky Fried Chicken instead of dark.

From New York Times

We mostly agree on the deliciousness of pumpkin pie, say, but are split over the eternal turkey question of dark meat versus white meat.

From Seattle Times