Meaning & use
variety meat
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable or uncountabletechnical
Meat from parts of an animal other than the usual muscle cuts, such as the liver, heart, tongue, or kidneys.
Grammar: Often used in the plural as 'variety meats' when talking about several kinds; it can also be uncountable, as in 'a stew made with variety meat'.
Patterns
- variety meats
- a variety meat
- use variety meat in something
The butcher sells variety meats such as liver, tongue, and heart.
In some regions, variety meat is considered a delicacy rather than a cheap cut.
The recipe calls for variety meats, so you will need to visit a specialist butcher.
noununcountabletechnicalbusiness
Such meat used as a category on food labels, in trade, or in official meat inspection.
Grammar: Used as a mass noun in official or business contexts, often before another noun: 'variety meat products'.
Patterns
- variety meat products
- the variety meat industry
- inspection of variety meat
Inspectors check variety meat just as carefully as they check steaks and roasts.
The company exports variety meat to markets where there is high demand for it.
Labeling rules require the package to state that it contains variety meat.
Word forms
| plural | variety meats |
|---|
Common combinations
- variety meats such as liver and tongue
- The market stall displays variety meats such as liver and tongue.
- a variety meat dish
- She ordered a variety meat dish that included kidney and heart.
- the variety meat trade
- The variety meat trade has grown in several exporting countries.
- use variety meat in cooking
- Chefs often use variety meat in slow-cooked stews.
Synonyms and how they differ
- offal
- Offal is the more common everyday word for these parts, and it can also include organs that are not eaten, so it is broader than 'variety meat'.
- organ meat
- Organ meat is a clear, neutral term that focuses on organs only, while 'variety meat' can also cover parts like feet or head meat.
- fifth quarter
- This is an informal trade term for the parts left after the main cuts are removed; it is less precise than 'variety meat'.
Word family
Commonly confused: variety meat or variety show? variety meat or processed meat?
variety meat vs variety show
A variety show is an entertainment program with many different acts; it has nothing to do with meat.
variety meat vs processed meat
Processed meat has been treated by smoking, salting, or adding chemicals; variety meat simply refers to which part of the animal it came from.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'variety meat' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Variety meats' is the usual plural form for these cuts, so option 1 fits. Option 0 wrongly treats 'variety meat' as a countable singular with 'a', and options 2 and 3 confuse the phrase with the unrelated expression 'a variety of meat'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “variety meat”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.