white meat

American  

noun

1. any meat that is light-colored before cooking, as veal or chicken (distinguished from red meat).

2. meat that is light-colored after cooking, as veal or breast of chicken or of turkey (distinguished from dark meat).

3. Slang: Vulgar. a white person considered as a sexual partner.

4. Southern U.S. salt pork, fatback, or other pork without any lean.

5. Archaic. food made from milk.

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white meat British  

noun

1. any meat that is light in colour, such as veal or the breast of turkey Compare red meat

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Etymology

Origin of white meat

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425

Example Sentences

Ironically, heavily processed and oddly shaped chicken patties, tenders and nuggets were popular so long as they claimed to contain 100% white meat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Only the white meat of clams and scallops should be prepared for eating.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2025

The findings around chicken and other white meat were less clear.

From BBC • Aug. 21, 2024

There’s also Wendy’s Nuggs Party Pack, a 50-piece order of all white meat chicken nuggets that’s available every day of the week in select participating locations.

From Salon • May 28, 2024

He broke the coconut against the sink and let the water out before he began to nudge the white meat off the shell with a knife.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie