Definition of "beef" in English

noun

1. (uncountable) The meat from cattle or other bovines.

   • I love eating beef.
   • He was cooking beef for lunch.

2. (uncountable) Bovine animals.

3. (now chiefly Canada, US, countable, now uncommon, plural beeves) A bovine (cow or bull) being raised for its meat.

   • Do you want to raise beeves?
   • 263. If he [one to whom a beef or sheep is loaned] ruins the beef or sheep that was loaned him, he is to return to the owner a beef for a beef and a sheep for a sheep.
   • Cutting out a Beef for branding

4. (slang, uncountable or countable, plural beefs) A grudge; dislike (of something or someone); lack of faith or trust (in something or someone); a reason for a dislike or grudge. (often + with)

   • He's got beef over what you said.
   • He's got a beef with everyone in the room.
   • Remember what happened last fall? That's his beef with me.

5. (Dorset) Fibrous calcite or limestone, especially when occurring in a jagged layer between shales in Dorset.

verb

1. (intransitive, slang) To complain.

2. (transitive, slang) To add weight or strength to.

3. (intransitive, slang) To fart; break wind.

   • Ugh, who just beefed in here?

4. (intransitive, chiefly Yorkshire) To cry.

   • David was beefing last night after Ruth told him off.

5. (transitive, slang) To fail or mess up.

   • I beefed my presentation hard yesterday.

6. (chiefly African-American Vernacular, MLE, MTE, intransitive, slang) To feud or hold a grudge against.

   • Those two are beefing right now — best you stay out of it.

7. (intransitive, slang, Australia) To sing or speak loudly; to cry out.

adjective

1. Being a bovine animal that is being raised for its meat.

   • We bought three beef calves this morning.

2. Producing or known for raising lots of beef.

   • beef farms
   • beef country

3. Consisting of or containing beef as an ingredient.

   • beef stew

4. (slang) Beefy; powerful; robust.

   • Wow, your audio setup is beef!