steak

American  

[steyk] / 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

Etymology

Origin of steak

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

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

This movie is not for those who want anything beyond a steak served blue.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026

‘I’ve plenty of time on my hands’: Advisers bombard me with offers of free steak dinners.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 8, 2026

I asked politely if the cook could leave the steak on the grill for somewhere between the time it took to make it rare and the time it took to make it medium.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026

Palantir stock rises Monday after snapping a seven-session losing steak on Friday, when it gained 5.3%.

From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026

Like a dog with a steak dangling just out of its reach.

From "Beast Rider" by Tony Johnston & María Elena Fontanot de Rhoads