steak

American  

[stayk] / steɪk /

noun

• steaks
  plural

1. a typically thick slice of meat, especially beef, or a thick slice of firm, hearty fish, cooked by broiling, pan-frying, etc.: salmon steaks.

   a sirloin steak;

   salmon steaks.

2. ground or chopped meat prepared in the same manner as a steak.

3. a thick slice of a hearty vegetable or other meaty food: tofu steaks.

   eggplant steaks;

   tofu steaks.

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steak British  

/ steɪk /

noun

1. See beefsteak

2. any of various cuts of beef of varying quality, used for braising, stewing, etc

3. a thick slice of pork, veal, etc, or of a large fish, esp cod or salmon

4. minced meat prepared in the same way as steak

   hamburger steak

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• steaks
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of steak

1400–50; late Middle English steike < Old Norse steik meat roasted on a stick

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Explanation

If you order steak at a restaurant, you'll probably be served a thick piece of cooked meat. Although most people use the noun steak to mean a slice of grilled or broiled beef, it can be used to talk about any kind of meat or fish. Many people like to cook tuna steaks on the grill or order a medium-rare T-bone steak at a restaurant. Since the fifteenth century, steak has meant "thick slice of meat," from the Old Norse root word steik, "roast meat."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

steak steaks

So, do experts think it's safe for pre-teens and teenagers or is a big, juicy steak just as good?

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

By the time the servers get all the plates out of the catering kitchen, the steak or fish is often cold.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

The FBI had questions about a steak dinner Kao shared with Sen. Lindsey Graham.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

Over the course of Jim Harbaugh’s two decades as a head coach, he has been America’s most famous khaki-pants evangelist, moonlit as a Supreme Court scholar, and declared steak a daily vitamin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

Connor opened the giant commercial fridge and grabbed two thin cuts of steak.

From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling

It’s a really great spot for burgers, fish and steaks, so we’ll just go there for a little snack, and I’ll be the only one eating, because everyone’s still full.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

You could have customers showing up ordering a feast of fillet steaks because they got an inside tip on your generosity.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

The rest of the menu runs the seafood gamut, from grilled whole branzino to New England seafood sauté, along with a smaller selection of steaks.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

Case in point: Bloomin’ Brands, the owner of Outback Steakhouse, raised its adjusted earnings outlook, as customers at its largest restaurant chain are paying more for pricier steaks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

They ordered two steaks medium rare, baked potatoes, French fries, fried onions, succotash, side dishes of macaroni and hominy, salad with Thousand Island dressing, cinnamon rolls, apple pie and ice cream, and coffee.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

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