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meat

(mēt)

1. The edible flesh of animals, especially that of mammals as opposed to that of fish or poultry.

2. The edible part, as of a piece of fruit or a nut.

3. The essence, substance, or gist: the meat of the editorial.

4. Slang Something that one enjoys or excels in; a forte: Tennis is his meat.

5. Nourishment; food: "Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink" (Edna St. Vincent Millay).

6. Vulgar Slang

a. The human body regarded as an object of sexual desire.

b. The genitals.

Idiom:

meat and potatoes Informal

The fundamental parts or part; the basis.

[Middle English mete, from Old English, food.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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