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meat

meat

78 5.5
The main part of an idea or talk that matters most
  • noun
  • /miːt/
  • Informal
translation icon : meollo
  • And now we get to the real meat of the story.
  • meat and potatoes

So let's get into the meat of today's subject.

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Examples

  • So let's get into the meat of today's subject.

  • If I have delayed reaching the meat of this essay, I ask your pardon.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Now let's get into the actual meat of the piece.

  • This is the, the, the meat of the discussion.

  • Here we arrive at the meat of the proposed approach.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Personal convictions are good and positive because they provide "meat to the bones" of our fundamental truths.

    Academic text (2001)
  • We are still feeding our secondary students pablum when they ought to have graduated to meat and potatoes!

    Academic text (1991)
  • Now, before we get to the meat of this thing, er... do you at the present time have any knowledge of the whereabouts of a Mr. Jack Burton or his truck?

  • We use the meat of dairy cows only, which we age for an astonishing 152 days to relax the protein strands.

  • And now we get to the real meat of the story.

Synonyms

heart
vsmeat
2.7

The central part of something, for example an idea or a place

is the broad name for the main or focal element
core
vsmeat
468 3.2

The most important central part of something

is the everyday label for the main essential element
essence
vsmeat
441 4.8

The central idea or most important part of something

names the main part rather than the abstract defining quality
center
vsmeat
  • US
282 1.0

The most important part or person that gets most attention

is limited to the core element rather than an attention focus
substance
vsmeat
188 4.3

The main idea of something said or written

is the simpler name for that essential meaning
sum
vsmeat
73 5.3

The main point of an argument or story

is the broader term for the main central element
gist
vsmeat
46 4.6

The main point of what someone says or writes

applies more widely to main parts beyond written texts
28 3.4

The most important part that holds a group or thing together

describes the main part without strong emotional or personal tone
kernel
vsmeat
21 5.4

Central part of an idea or argument

is broader and applies to main parts generally
nitty-gritty
vsmeat
  • Informal
14 6.5

The most important specific details of a plan or problem

refers to the overall essential part beyond specific details
13 3.9

The most important part of a problem or discussion

is the general term for the main central element
marrow
vsmeat
  • Literature
12 7.7

The most important part of something

means the core idea without the living or bodily image
12 3.5

The most important part of something, often in a recipe or plan

means the whole central part rather than a single component
nub
vsmeat
6 6.7

The main point people argue about in a discussion

is the general word for the important central part
meat and potatoes
vsmeat
  • Informal
6 3.9

The most important part of something

is the general label for the central essential element
pith
vsmeat
1 7.7

The main part of an idea or argument

is a general term for the main central element

Idioms

1 9.9

To touch a man's penis to get sexual pleasure

1 9.9

Very angry and acting without thinking

to beat one's meat
  • Offensive
9.9

To touch his own penis to feel sexual pleasure

Keep the useful parts and ignore the rest

9.7

Something that looks good but has little real value

To gain weight and become healthier after being thin or sick

Compounds

41 2.0

Meat from animals like cows or sheep that is red before cooking

15 1.5

Pale meat from the breast of birds like chicken or turkey

14 1.0

Uncooked meat that people eat

13 2.0

Meat from the legs and thighs of a bird that is darker and juicier than breast meat

7 1.1

A shop that sells meat such as beef and chicken

6 3.9

The most important part of something

6 2.7

A piece of meat taken from a certain part of an animal

6 2.7

A large heavy knife with a wide rectangular blade used to cut meat and bones

6 2.0

A dish made from ground meat mixed with other ingredients and baked in a loaf shape

5 3.0

A process that kills animals and prepares their meat to sell in shops

5 1.0

A baked dish of cooked meat inside pastry, usually eaten hot

mystery meat
  • Informal
4 7.3

Food whose type or where it comes from you cannot tell, often served in cafeterias

A device you put into meat to check its inside temperature while cooking

3 2.1

An animal that eats other animals for food

3 4.8

A strong pointed hook for hanging dead animals in a butcher shop

2 1.7

Cold sliced cooked meat used in sandwiches or as a snack

meat grinder
  • Literature
2 7.0

A situation that causes a lot of harm and suffering to people over time

1 1.8

Meat kept in a sealed can to last a long time

Sliced cooked meat sold in a can or loaf and usually served cold

1 1.3

A counter in a store where people sell meat like steak or chicken

1 2.4

A person who slices and trims meat for sale in shops

1 2.9

A person or company that prepares and packs meat for shops

1 1.8

A kitchen machine that cuts meat into small pieces

meat hooks
  • Slang
1 7.5

Large strong hands used for fighting or heavy work

1 2.4

Meat cut into small pieces for slow cooking to make it tender

meat puppet
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who follows orders from others without thinking

1 4.4

A shelf for holding meat for sale in a shop

meat house
  • Archaic
1 6.2

A small farm building where people hang meat or fish to dry

1 1.5

Minced meat mixed with spices for making sausages or patties

1 7.5

Parts from inside an animal that people eat, like liver or heart

Firm white flesh inside a coconut shell that people use in cooking and baking

A piece of meat with a lot of fat

meat crayon
  • Slang
9.9

A sausage or sandwich made from processed meat and called jokingly

meat cutter
  • Specialized
3.3

A machine or hand tool that slices meat into pieces

meat diaper
  • Slang
9.9

A pad under raw meat that soaks up liquid

A machine with a metal bowl and paddles that blends meat when making sausages

meat safe
  • Archaic
8.3

A cupboard with wire sides that stores meat and keeps flies away

7.4

A place where employers quickly judge job seekers like products

An industry that processes and packs meat for shops

A rich, filling pasta sauce made with a lot of meat, tomatoes and herbs

4.1

Meat cut into thin strips and dried to keep it for a long time

Buttons or links that hide their function so users must guess what they do

1.9

Meat kept in a metal can to last a long time

side of meat
  • Specialized
5.5

A large half of an animal prepared and sold for eating

How Central

crux
34 7.5
heart
2.7
meat
  • Informal
78 5.5
key point
43 3.1
point
1.0
aspect
920 3.4
detail
1.0

Surface Forms

meat singular
meats plural

Etymology

Meat is used for the main or essential part of something because people saw meat as the most filling part of a meal, so the 'meat' of an idea or argument is its most important part.