Examples Word Origin
See more synonyms for beef on Thesaurus.com noun, plural beeves [beevz] /bivz/ for 2 ; beefs for 4 . the flesh of a cow, steer, or bull raised and killed for its meat. an adult cow, steer, or bull raised for its meat. Informal brawn; muscular strength. strength; power. weight, as of a person. human flesh. Slang a complaint. an argument or dispute. Show More
verb (used without object) Slang to complain; grumble. Show More
beef up , to add strength, numbers, force, etc., to; strengthen: During the riots, the nighttime patrol force was beefed up with volunteers. to increase or add to: to beef up our fringe benefits. Show More
Origin of beef 1250–1300; 1885–90 for def 5 ;
Middle English <
Anglo-French beof, Old French boef <
Latin bov- (stem of
bōs ) ox, cow; akin to
cow1 Related forms beef·less , adjective Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words for beef meat ,
vigor ,
strength ,
force ,
power ,
flesh ,
sinew ,
brawn ,
physique ,
arm ,
muscle ,
might ,
steam ,
robustness ,
criticism ,
grievance ,
squabble ,
grouse ,
rhubarb ,
objection Examples from the Web for beef Contemporary Examples of beef Champagne, which is also acidic, offers a nice complement to anything from tuna tartare to beef bourguignon.
The freezer is filled with meat, sides of beef and large pieces of lamb.
The beef began three days ago, when Snoop posted an unflattering Iggy meme to his Instagram.
My beef is not with Jolie, whom I congratulate on her work, and admire as human being simply trying to do a little bit of good.
This is also a show that decided that in order to get better it needed to beef up its female presence.
Historical Examples of beef A roast of beef meant a visit, in Dr. Ed's modest-paying clientele.
Falling in with an American in the Bay of Biscay, we got a barrel of beef which lasted us in.
We were out of pork and beef , and our fire-wood was nearly gone.
Come, man, you must be as hungry as a hawk—a slice of the beef ?
In carving a round of beef , slice it horizontally and very thin.
British Dictionary definitions for beef the flesh of various bovine animals, esp the cow, when killed for eating plural beeves (biːvz ) an adult ox, bull, cow, etc, reared for its meat informal human flesh, esp when muscular plural beefs a complaint Show More
(intr) slang to complain, esp repeatedly he was beefing about his tax (tr often foll by up ) informal to strengthen; reinforce Show More
Word Origin for beef C13: from Old French boef , from Latin bōs ox; see cow 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for beef n. c.1300, from Old French buef "ox; beef; ox hide" (11c., Modern French boeuf ), from Latin bovem (nominative bos , genitive bovis ) "ox, cow," from PIE root *gwou- "cow, ox, bull" (see cow (n.)). Original plural was beeves .
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v. "to complain," slang, 1888, American English, from noun meaning "complaint" (1880s). The noun meaning "argument" is recorded from 1930s. The origin and signification are unclear; perhaps it traces to the common late 19c. complaint of U.S. soldiers about the quantity or quality of beef rations.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with beef In addition to the idiom beginning with beef
also see:
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
