MEAT

kernel, substance, core, center, centre, essence, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, marrow, meat, nub, pith, sum, nitty-gritty

(noun) the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; “the gist of the prosecutor’s argument”; “the heart and soul of the Republican Party”; “the nub of the story”

meat

(noun) the flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) used as food

kernel, meat

(noun) the inner and usually edible part of a seed or grain or nut or fruit stone; “black walnut kernels are difficult to get out of the shell”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

meat (countable and uncountable, plural meats)

(uncountable) The flesh (muscle tissue) of an animal used as food. [from 14th c.]

(countable) A type of meat, by anatomic position and provenance. [from 16th c.]

(now, archaic, dialectal) Food, for animals or humans, especially solid food. See also meat and drink. [from 8th c.]

(now, rare) A type of food, a dish. [from 9th c.]

(archaic) A meal. [from 9th c.]

(obsolete) Meal; flour.

(uncountable) Any relatively thick, solid part of a fruit, nut etc. [from 15th c.]

(slang) A penis. [from 16th c.]

(colloquial) The best or most substantial part of something. [from 16th c.]

(sports) The sweet spot of a bat or club (in cricket, golf, baseball etc.). [from 20th c.]

(slang) A meathead.

(Australian Aboriginal) A totem, or (by metonymy) a clan or clansman which uses it.

Usage notes

• The meaning "flesh of an animal used as food" is often understood to exclude fish and other seafood. For example, the rules for abstaining from meat in the Roman Catholic Church do not extend to fish; likewise, some people who consider themselves vegetarians also eat fish (though the more precise term for such a person is pescetarian).

• Traditionally, this meaning sometimes also excluded poultry.

Synonyms

• (animal flesh used as food): flesh; See also meat

• (penis): see penis

• (best or most substantial part of something): crux, gist; See also gist

Antonyms

• drink

Anagrams

• AEMT, ATEM, Atem, META, Meta, Tame, Team, Tema, mate, maté, meta, meta-, tame, team

Source: Wiktionary

Meat, n. Etym: [OE. mete, AS. mete; akin to OS. mat, meti, D. met hashed meat, G. mettwurst sausage, OHG. maz food, Icel. matr, Sw. mat, Dan. mad, Goth. mats. Cf. Mast fruit, Mush.]

1. Food, in general; anything eaten for nourishment, either by man or beast. Hence, the edible part of anything; as, the meat of a lobster, a nut, or an egg. Chaucer. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, . . . to you it shall be for meat. Gen. i. 29. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you. Gen. ix. 3.

2. The flesh of animals used as food; esp., animal muscle; as, a breakfast of bread and fruit without meat.

3. Specifically, dinner; the chief meal. [Obs.] Chaucer. Meat biscuit. See under Biscuit.

– Meat earth (Mining), vegetable mold. Raymond.

– Meat fly. (Zoöl.) See Flesh fly, under Flesh.

– Meat offering (Script.), an offering of food, esp. of a cake made of flour with salt and oil.

– To go to meat, to go to a meal. [Obs.] -- To sit at meat, to sit at the table in taking food.

Meat, v. t.

Definition: To supply with food. [Obs.] Tusser. His shield well lined, his horses meated well. Chapman.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition