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.

---

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

---

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

See Examples For:

steak steaks

Schulman said he had been seeing “a consistent trade into premium proteins,” like pomegranate-glazed salmon or grilled steak, regardless of income bracket.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

For nearly five decades, they served up diner classics like steak and eggs and a hearty stack of pancakes while infusing the meals with touches that showcased their Chinese heritage.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

A red cartoon hunk of steak, a bronzed turkey, a few shrimp, a tub of unsweetened yogurt, an apple and a bag of frozen peas cascade alongside him.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026

The meat has been described as tasting like a cross between kipper and steak or "salty goose" and, less flatteringly, as "rotten leather and fishy beef", external.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

Connor opened the giant commercial fridge and grabbed two thin cuts of steak.

From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling

A sweet little throwaway in which Mellencamp picks up steaks at the grocery store for a picnic with his daughter Teddi.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Visiting one celebrated restaurant in San Francisco, he describes the preparation of commercially farmed abalone steaks as someone who knows his way around a commercial kitchen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Outback Steakhouse customers are trading up for premium steaks; Shake Shack profits slip as operating expenses rise; plus, a leadership shake-up at Google.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

The Mibrasa Hibachi Table Top Grill is portable, maintains a fire for hours and makes grilling skewers, vegetables and even steaks feel like part of the entertainment.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

He bought us cowboy hats and fringed vests, and we ate chicken-fried steaks in restaurants with ice-cold air-conditioning and a miniature jukebox at each table.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls