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meat

1. Food, in general; anything eaten for nourishment, either by man or beast. Hence, the edible part of anything; as, the meat of a lobster, a nut, or an egg. And god said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, . . . To you it shall be for meat. (gen. I. 29) Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you. (Gen. Ix. 3)

2. The flesh of animals used as food; especially, animal muscle; as, a breakfast of bread and fruit without meat.

3. Specifically, dinner; the chief meal. Meat biscuit. See Biscuit.

(Science: chemical) Meat earth, vegetable mold. Meat fly.

(Science: zoology) An offering of food, especially. Of a cake made of flour with salt and oil. To go to meat, to go to a meal. To sit at meat, to sit at the table in taking food.

Origin: OE. Mete, AS. Mete; akin to OS. Mat, meti, D. Met hashed meat, G. Mettwurst sausage, OHG. Maz food, Icel. Matr, Sw. Mat, Dan. Mad, Goth. Mats. Cf. Mast fruit, Mush.