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View synonyms for

beef

[ beef ]

noun

plural beeves beefs
  1. the flesh of a cow, steer, or bull raised and killed for its meat.
  2. an adult cow, steer, or bull raised for its meat.
  3. Informal.
    1. brawn; muscular strength.
    2. strength; power.
    3. weight, as of a person.
    4. human flesh.
  4. Slang.
    1. a complaint.
    2. an argument or dispute.


verb (used without object)

  1. Slang. to complain; grumble.

verb phrase

    1. to add strength, numbers, force, etc., to; strengthen:

      During the riots, the nighttime patrol force was beefed up with volunteers.

    2. to increase or add to:

      to beef up our fringe benefits.

beef

/ ː /

noun

  1. the flesh of various bovine animals, esp the cow, when killed for eating
  2. 𱹱ː an adult ox, bull, cow, etc, reared for its meat
  3. informal.
    human flesh, esp when muscular
  4. beefs a complaint
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. slang.
    intr to complain, esp repeatedly

    he was beefing about his tax

  2. informal.
    troften foll byup to strengthen; reinforce
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • l adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of beef1

First recorded in 1250–1300; 1885–90 beef fordef 5; Middle English, from Anglo-French beof, Old French boef, from Latin bov- (stem of ō ) “ox, cow”; akin to cow 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of beef1

C13: from Old French boef , from Latin ō ox; see cow 1
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Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with beef , also see where's the beef .
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

So I’m curious, do you still have sparrow beef?

From

On Nov. 22nd, a single case of screwworm in Chiapas, a Mexican state at the border with Guatemala, triggered an American ban on imports of beef that transited through or came from Mexico.

From

Are you involved in a beef with another musician at the moment?

From

You don’t have to say with whom, but are you currently involved in a beef with anyone in music?

From

He’s now preparing to avoid the U.S. tariff system as much as he can, beefing up his roster of international clients and shipping products directly to them from China.

From

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Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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