Skip to main content
chopped steak

chopped steak

1 2.2
A flat piece of ground beef that is cooked and served as a main dish
  • noun
  • /ˈtʃɑpt steɪk/
  • US
translation icon : bistec picado
  • The chef prepared a juicy chopped steak, perfect with a side of mashed potatoes.

Examples

  • So you didn't touch one either," I said, spooning chopped steak onto my plate.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • The woman, her white helmet of hair tinged blue, leaned across the table to cut her husband's chopped steak.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • I ordered a delicious chopped steak for dinner at the restaurant.

  • She preferred her meal to include a tender chopped steak instead of chicken.

Synonyms

patty
vschopped steak
46 2.1

A small flat cake of ground meat or vegetables cooked to eat

is a specific cooked ground beef main rather than any small food mass
Salisbury steak
vschopped steak
  • US
11 3.9

A cooked seasoned ground beef patty served with sauce or gravy

is the plain cooked main course without the typical sauce accompaniment
beef patty
vschopped steak
3 1.6

A flat round piece of cooked ground beef used in burgers

is described as a standalone main dish rather than a sandwich ingredient
chopsteak
vschopped steak
  • US
3.7

A flat round patty of ground beef often served as a main dish

has identical meaning but uses a different written form
chop steak
vschopped steak
  • US
3.5

A flat piece of cooked ground beef served without a bun, often with gravy

is a main course version not tied to sandwiches or buns
hamburger steak
vschopped steak
  • US
2.6

A cooked flat piece of ground beef served without a bun

is cooked and presented as a main dish without naming the method

Surface Forms

chopped steak singular

Morphology

chopped + steak

The compound is directly compositional: 'chopped' (cut into small pieces) applied to 'steak' (meat) yields the sense of meat that has been cut or minced, which a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer. Although 'steak' sometimes denotes a whole slice, the modifier 'chopped' cues a processed form (similar to 'minced meat' or 'hamburger steak'), so the meaning is transparently derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Chopped steak gets its name from the way the meat is made: beef is finely chopped or ground and then shaped into a thick steak-like 'patty'. So the name gives a clear picture—a steak made from chopped meat—which is why it means a cooked beef 'patty' served as a 'main dish'.