gristle

American  

[gris-uhl] / ˈgrɪs əl /

noun

1. cartilage, especially in meats.

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gristle British  

/ ˈɡrɪsəl /

noun

1. cartilage, esp when in meat

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Other Word Forms

• gristliness noun
• gristly adjective

Etymology

Origin of gristle

before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Old Frisian, Middle Low German gristal; akin to Old English grost cartillage

Explanation

Gristle is a chewy, inedible part of meat. If there's too much gristle in your steak, you might send it back — or think seriously about becoming a vegetarian. Gristle is an unpleasant surprise in a bite of meat, a fibrous bit you may end up spitting in your napkin. It makes sense you can't chew it, since gristle is a type of connective tissue that's mainly found in ligaments and doesn't break down when it's cooked. Skilled cooks can easily cut out any gristle before cooking meat. In Old English, gristle simply meant "cartilage."

Example Sentences

Set in the mid-18th century, it is a classic tale of haves and have-nots filled with gristle and grit, limitless horizons, scenes of suffering, reversals of fortune and cathartic recognition.

From New York Times • Feb. 1, 2024

It’s the connective tissue — the gristle — between the kills that is seriously lacking.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 15, 2023

I suppose there's only so much originality to be mined from a universe bent on peeling every last bit of gristle off its main story.

From Salon • Sep. 10, 2023

The buttery meat tasted best without sauce—a clean, salty bite absent of the least gristle.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 18, 2022

So far the float had only gone down when her line tangled in seaweed, or because a sea crab had nibbled at the bait until there was only a thread of gristle left.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood