beefnoun
uk/biːf/us/biːf/beef noun (MEAT)
B1 [ U ] the flesh of cattle (= cows), eaten as food:
The spaghetti sauce is made with minced (US ground) beef.
People in England often have roast beef and Yorkshire pudding for lunch on Sundays.
He is a beef cattle farmer.
More examples
- Pour the marinade over the beef and leave it for 24 hours.
- Would you like another slice of beef?
- I like the sound of the beef in red wine sauce.
- I'm wondering whether to have the fish or the beef.
- My fish was delicious but Charles' beef had almost no flavour.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Kinds of meat
- bacon
- biltong
- broiler
- capon
- chicken
- filet mignon
- fryer
- gammon
- guinea fowl
- ham
- pancetta
- Parma ham
- partridge
- pastrami
- pheasant
- quail
- squab
- turkey
- veal
- venison
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beef noun (COMPLAINT)
[ C ] informal a complaint:
My main beef about the job is that I have to work on Saturdays.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Complaining
- bewail
- bugger, sod, etc. this for a lark! idiom
- cavil
- chunter
- complainant
- complaint
- groan
- grouse
- harp
- harp on (about sth)
- huff and puff idiom
- kick
- lodge
- make a noise about sth idiom
- nark
- protest
- quibble
- squeal
- start on at sb
- whinger
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beef noun (FORCE)
[ U ] mainly UK informal strength, power, or force:
He said that the newly published government report didn't have much beef in it.
Push harder! Put some beef into it!
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Power and intensity
- ascendant
- be (as) solid as a rock idiom
- brunt
- cast iron
- clout
- depth
- indestructible
- intensity
- invincible
- invulnerable
- kick-ass
- pack
- resilient
- richness
- robust
- strength
- the mother of all sth idiom
- tough
- vehement
- vivid
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beefverb [ I ]
uk/biːf/us/biːf/informalto complain:
He was beefing about having to do the shopping.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Complaining
- bewail
- bugger, sod, etc. this for a lark! idiom
- cavil
- chunter
- complainant
- complaint
- groan
- grouse
- harp
- harp on (about sth)
- huff and puff idiom
- kick
- lodge
- make a noise about sth idiom
- nark
- protest
- quibble
- squeal
- start on at sb
- whinger
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Phrasal verb(s)
beef sth up