1. The flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) used as food
   "The butcher shop offered a variety of fresh meats"
    
2. The inner and usually edible part of a seed, grain, nut or fruit stone
   "black walnut meats are difficult to get out of the shell";
   - kernel
    
3. The choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience
   "the meat of the prosecutor's argument";
   - kernel, substance, core, center [US], centre [Brit, Cdn], essence, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, marrow, nub, pith, sum, nitty-gritty [informal]

Sounds like: means, mimeat, meet

Derived forms: meats

Type of: cognitive content, content, food, grub [informal], kai [NZ, informal], khana [Asia], mental object, nosh [Brit, informal], plant part, plant structure, provender [archaic], solid food

Part of: seed

Encyclopedia: Meat