dark meat
Americannoun
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meat that is dark in appearance after cooking, especially a leg or thigh of chicken or turkey (distinguished from white meat).
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Slang: Vulgar. a Black person, considered as a sexual partner.
Etymology
Origin of dark meat
An Americanism dating back to 1855–60
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
China is an important export market for U.S. beef and poultry, particularly for products such as chicken feet and dark meat that are less popular with U.S. consumers.
From Barron's ● May 12, 2026
Of course, chicken thighs and dark meat in general have been a celebrated ingredient of American cooking and foodways for centuries, including in Southern and Black American traditions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
They look like a cross between an otter and a gopher but they taste something like a rabbit or dark meat from turkey.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2025
If dark meat is your preference, turkey thighs and drumsticks are an option.
From Salon ● Nov. 28, 2024
Muff taught her to fry chicken legs and turn the small bits of dark meat into chicken and dumplings.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
