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

Steak leans into its vintage charm with dark lighting, a crackling fireplace and a distinctly romantic atmosphere.

From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026

Though the Model A’s will surely raise eyebrows on the road, the caravan’s most startling element is the fiberglass bull representing the Amarillo-based Big Texan Steak Ranch restaurant, one of the event’s sponsors.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

Steak restaurants— Texas Roadhouse, Outback Steakhouse, and LongHorn Steakhouse, for example—are the most vulnerable because beef is such a big part of their costs.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

Beef prices have continued to surge, posing margin headwinds to Darden’s LongHorn Steakhouse and Ruth’s Chris Steak House.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

Having undertaken the study of Hard French, I’ll overhear such requests and glare across the room, thinking, "That's Mister Steak to you, buddy."

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris