meat

meat
\ \ [OE] Etymologically, meat is a ‘portion of food measured out’. The word’s ultimate source is Indo-European *mat-, *met- ‘measure’, which also lies behind English measure. This produced a prehistoric Germanic *matiz, which by the time it passed into Old English as mete had broadened out in meaning from ‘portion of food’ to simply ‘food’. That is still the meaning of its Germanic relatives, Swedish mat and Danish mad, and it survives for English meat in certain fixed contexts, such as meat and drink and What’s one man’s meat is another man’s poison, but for the most part the more specific ‘flesh used as food’, which began to emerge in the 14th century, now dominates.
\ \ Cf.MEASURE

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • méat — méat …   Dictionnaire des rimes

  • MEAT — (Heb. בָּשָׂר, basar), the flesh of animals permitted for consumption. (For its meaning as human flesh and symbolic connotation, see flesh .) The Talmud points out (Sanh. 59b) that according to the biblical account the consumption of meat was… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • méat — [ mea ] n. m. • 1575; méate « passage, conduit » dès 1500; a. provenç. meat (XIVe); lat. meatus 1 ♦ Anat. Orifice d un canal. Méat urinaire : orifice externe de l urètre. Méats inférieur, moyen, supérieur, du nez : cavités des fosses nasales… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • meat — W3S2 [mi:t] n [: Old English; Origin: mete food ] 1.) [U and C] the flesh of animals and birds eaten as food ▪ I gave up eating meat a few months ago. ▪ raw meat ▪ a meat pie ▪ a selection of cold meats red meat (=a …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Meat — (m[=e]t), n. [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 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • meat — (n.) O.E. mete food, item of food (paired with drink), from P.Gmc. *mati (Cf. O.Fris. mete, O.S. meti, O.N. matr, O.H.G. maz, Goth. mats food, M.Du., Du. metworst, Ger. Mettwurst type of sausage ), from PIE *mad i …   Etymology dictionary

  • meat — [ mit ] noun *** 1. ) uncount the flesh of an animal or bird eaten as food a ) count a particular type of meat: You can choose from a selection of meats. 2. ) uncount INFORMAL interesting or important parts of something such as a book, movie, or… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • meat — MEÁT, meaturi, s.n. 1. (anat.) Canal îngust şi subţire sau orificiul acestuia, aflate în diferite organe. 2. Spaţiu, interstiţiu între celulele unui ţesut vegetal. [pr.: me at] – Din fr. méat, lat. meatus. Trimis de RACAI, 30.09.2003. Sursa: DEX… …   Dicționar Român

  • meat´i|ly — meat|y «MEE tee», adjective, meat|i|er, meat|i|est. 1. of meat; having the flavor of meat: »some choice meaty bits. 2. like meat: »a meaty texture …   Useful english dictionary

  • meat|y — «MEE tee», adjective, meat|i|er, meat|i|est. 1. of meat; having the flavor of meat: »some choice meaty bits. 2. like meat: »a meaty texture …   Useful english dictionary

  • Meat — Personaje de Mortal Kombat Creador(es) John Tobias y Ed Boon Información Sexo Masculino …   Wikipedia Español

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