Etymology : Middle English, from Old French buef ox, beef, from Latin bov-, bos head of cattle; more at COW
Pronunciation : bEf
Function : noun
Date : 14th century
1. (Slang) complaint, point of contention; argument with another person, dispute. meat taken from cows or bulls; vigor, strength; fattened bull. complain (Slang).
2. a complaint, a problem; an argumen.
3. the peni.
4. the vagin.
5. to engage in sexual intercours.
6. see also:
ride the beef. beef\beef\ , a. of, pertaining to, or resembling, beef.beef tea, essence of beef, or strong beef broth.beef \beef\ (bēf), n. [oe. boef, befe, beef, of. boef, buef, f. bœef, fr. l. bos, bovis, ox; akin to gr. boy^s, skr. gō cow, and e. cow. see:
2d cow.].
7. an animal of the genus bos, especially the common species, b. taurus, including the bull, cow, and ox, in their full grown state; esp., an ox or cow fattened for food.note: [in this, which is the original sense, the word has a plural, beeves (bēvz).] a herd of beeves, fair oxen and fair kine.
8. the flesh of an ox, or cow, or of any adult bovine animal, when slaughtered for food.note: [in this sense, the word has no plural.] "great meals of beef.".
9. applied colloquially to human flesh.beef n.
10. cattle that are reared for their meat [syn: beef cattle].
11. meat from an adult domestic bovine [syn: boeuf].
12. informal terms for objecting; "i have a gripe about the service here" [syn: gripe, kick, bitch, squawk] complain; "what was he hollering about?" [syn: gripe, grouse, squawk, bellyache, holler].
13. An animal of the genus Bos, especially the common species, B. taurus, including the bull, cow, and ox, in their full grown state; esp., an ox or cow fattened for food.
14. The flesh of an ox, or cow, or of any adult bovine animal, when slaughtered for food.
15. Applied colloquially to human flesh.
16. Of, pertaining to, or resembling, beef. cattle that are reared for their meat meat from an adult domestic bovine.
17. Beef is the meat of a cow, bull, or ox. roast beef. beef stew. see also:
corned beef. to complain a lot beef about. Flesh of mature cattle, as distinguished from veal, the flesh of calves. The best beef is obtained from steers (castrated males) and heifers (female cows that have not calved). Tenderness and flavour are improved by aging; in one common method, the carcass is hung for about two weeks at approximately 36 °F (2 °C). The world's primary beef producers and consumers are the U.S., the European Union, Brazil, China, Argentina, and Australia. Grading standards are relatively uniform; in the U.S., grades range from prime and choice to utility and canner. Beef provides protein and B vitamins; it also contains saturated fat, an excess of which can contribute to heart disease and other health problems. Beef is not eaten by Hindus because of the sacred status of the cow.