Meet vs. Meat — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 18, 2024
Meet refers to arranging or encountering someone or something, while meat denotes animal flesh consumed as food.
Difference Between Meet and Meat
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Meet involves the action of coming into the presence of someone, typically arranged. While meat refers to the flesh of animals that is used for food, often distinguishing different types based on the animal source.
Meet can be used as both a verb and a noun, representing an event like a meeting. Whereas meat is used primarily as a noun, although in informal contexts, it can also denote the most substantial or essential part of something.
Meet is often associated with gatherings, appointments, or encounters, highlighting social or formal interactions. On the other hand, meat is central to discussions about diet, nutrition, and culinary preferences, impacting cultural and dietary choices.
Meet encompasses a variety of settings, from business meetings to casual rendezvous. Meanwhile, meat plays a vital role in various cuisines, with its preparation and consumption reflecting culinary traditions.
Meet carries implications of planning and intentionality, as meetings are often scheduled to achieve specific objectives. In contrast, meat is subject to ethical, health, and environmental considerations, influencing people's eating habits and lifestyles.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Arranging to come into presence of someone or something.
Animal flesh that is eaten as food.
Part of Speech
Noun, Verb (meet, meets, meeting)
Noun (meat, meats)
Usage Context
Social interactions, business meetings.
Culinary, diet, nutrition.
Implications
Planning, intentionality, socializing.
Ethical, health, environmental concerns.
Varieties
Meetings can be formal or informal.
Types include beef, pork, poultry, etc.
Compare with Definitions
Meet
Arrange to come into the presence of someone.
They planned to meet at noon.
Meat
Edible flesh of animals.
This recipe calls for finely chopped meat.
Meet
Encounter or experience.
She will meet many challenges in her new job.
Meat
Main part of something substantial.
The meat of the argument is in the third chapter.
Meet
Converge at a point.
The two roads meet at the bridge.
Meat
Slang for physical substance or essence.
Let’s get to the meat of the matter.
Meet
Satisfy a requirement.
His response did not meet the criteria.
Meat
Informal term for the human body or flesh.
He lifted weights to build up his meat.
Meet
Hold a meeting or gathering.
The committee meets every Thursday.
Meat
Historical term for food in general.
In older texts, meat could refer to any food, not just animal flesh.
Meet
To come into the presence of by chance or arrangement
I was surprised to meet an old friend in the park. I met a friend for coffee.
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted and killed animals for meat since prehistoric times.
Meet
To come into the company of
I met my colleagues for a meeting.
Meat
The edible flesh of animals, especially that of mammals as opposed to that of fish or poultry.
Meet
To be introduced to; make the acquaintance of
Have you met my wife?.
Meat
The edible part, as of a piece of fruit or a nut.
Meet
To come together or confront in opposition
The rival teams meet next week.
Meat
The essence, substance, or gist
The meat of the editorial.
Meet
To be present at the arrival of
Met the train.
Meat
(Slang) Something that one enjoys or excels in; a forte
Tennis is his meat.
Meet
To come into conjunction with; join or touch
Where the road meets the highway.
Meat
Nourishment; food
"Love is not all.
Meet
To come into conformity with the views, wishes, or opinions of
The firm has done its best to meet us on that point.
Meat
The genitals.
Meet
To come to the notice of (the senses)
There is more here than meets the eye.
Meat
(uncountable) The flesh (muscle tissue) of an animal used as food.
A large portion of domestic meat production comes from animals raised on factory farms.
The homesteading teenager shot a deer to supply his family with wild meat for the winter.
Meet
To experience or undergo
He met his fate with courage. The project has met a setback.
Meat
(countable) A type of meat, by anatomic position and provenance.
The butchery's profit rate on various meats varies greatly.
Meet
To be sufficient for (a need, for example); fulfill
Meet all the conditions in the contract.
Meat
Food, for animals or humans, especially solid food. See also meat and drink.
Meet
To deal or contend with effectively
We can meet each problem as it arises.
Meat
A type of food, a dish.
Meet
To pay; settle
Enough money to meet expenses.
Meat
(archaic) A meal.
Meet
To come together
Didn't recognize him when we met. Where should we meet for lunch?.
Meat
(obsolete) Meal; flour.
Meet
To come into conjunction; be joined
The two pipes meet in the corner.
Meat
(uncountable) Any relatively thick, solid part of a fruit, nut etc.
The apple looked fine on the outside, but the meat was not very firm.
Meet
To come together as opponents; contend
The team met with its rival.
Meat
(slang) A penis.
Meet
To become introduced
Where did the two of you meet?.
Meat
(colloquial) The best or most substantial part of something.
We recruited him right from the meat of our competitor.
Meet
To assemble
Protesters met in the square.
Meat
(sports) The sweet spot of a bat or club (in cricket, golf, baseball etc.).
He hit it right on the meat of the bat.
Meet
To occur together, especially in one person or entity
Suspense and intrigue meet in this new movie.
Meat
(slang) A meathead.
Throw it in here, meat.
Meet
A meeting or contest, especially an athletic competition.
Meat
(Australian Aboriginal) A totem, or (by metonymy) a clan or clansman which uses it.
Meet
Fitting; proper
"It seems not meet, nor wholesome to my place" (Shakespeare).
Meat
Food, in general; anything eaten for nourishment, either by man or beast. Hence, the edible part of anything; as, the meat of a lobster, a nut, or an egg.
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, . . . to you it shall be for meat.
Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you.
Meet
To make contact (with) while in proximity.
Meat
The flesh of animals used as food; esp., animal muscle; as, a breakfast of bread and fruit without meat.
Meet
To come face to face with by accident; to encounter.
Fancy meeting you here! Guess who I met at the supermarket today?
Meat
Dinner; the chief meal.
Meet
To come face to face with someone by arrangement.
Let's meet at the station at 9 o'clock.
Meat
To supply with food.
His shield well lined, his horses meated well.
Meet
To get acquainted with someone.
I'm pleased to meet you! I'd like you to meet a colleague of mine.
I met my husband through a mutual friend at a party. It wasn't love at first sight; in fact, we couldn't stand each other at first!
Meat
The flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) used as food
Meet
(Of groups) To come together.
Meat
The inner and usually edible part of a seed or grain or nut or fruit stone;
Black walnut kernels are difficult to get out of the shell
Meet
To gather for a formal or social discussion; to hold a meeting.
I met with them several times. The government ministers met today to start the negotiations.
Meat
The choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience;
The gist of the prosecutor's argument
The heart and soul of the Republican Party
The nub of the story
Meet
To come together in conflict.
Meet
(sports) To play a match.
England and Holland will meet in the final.
Meet
To make physical or perceptual contact.
Meet
To converge and finally touch or intersect.
The two streets meet at a crossroad half a mile away.
Meet
To touch or hit something while moving.
The right wing of the car met the column in the garage, leaving a dent.
Meet
To adjoin, be physically touching.
The carpet meets the wall at this side of the room. The forest meets the sea along this part of the coast.
Meet
(transitive) To respond to (an argument etc.) with something equally convincing; to refute.
He met every objection to the trip with another reason I should go.
Meet
To satisfy; to comply with.
This proposal meets my requirements. The company agrees to meet the cost of any repairs.
Meet
(intransitive) To balance or come out correct.
Meet
To perceive; to come to a knowledge of; to have personal acquaintance with; to experience; to suffer.
The eye met a horrid sight. He met his fate.
Meet
To be mixed with, to be combined with aspects of.
Meet
(sports) A sports competition, especially for track and field or swimming.
Track meet
Swim meet
Meet
(hunting) A gathering of riders, horses and hounds for foxhunting; a field meet for hunting.
Meet
(rail transport) A meeting of two trains in opposite directions on a single track, when one is put into a siding to let the other cross.
Meet
(informal) A meeting.
OK, let's arrange a meet with Tyler and ask him.
Meet
(algebra) The greatest lower bound, an operation between pairs of elements in a lattice, denoted by the symbol ∧.
Meet
(archaic) Suitable; right; proper.
Meet
To join, or come in contact with; esp., to come in contact with by approach from an opposite direction; to come upon or against, front to front, as distinguished from contact by following and overtaking.
Meet
To come in collision with; to confront in conflict; to encounter hostilely; as, they met the enemy and defeated them; the ship met opposing winds and currents.
Meet
To come into the presence of without contact; to come close to; to intercept; to come within the perception, influence, or recognition of; as, to meet a train at a junction; to meet carriages or persons in the street; to meet friends at a party; sweet sounds met the ear.
His daughter came out to meet him.
Meet
To perceive; to come to a knowledge of; to have personal acquaintance with; to experience; to suffer; as, the eye met a horrid sight; he met his fate.
Of vice or virtue, whether blest or curst,Which meets contempt, or which compassion first.
Meet
To come up to; to be even with; to equal; to match; to satisfy; to ansver; as, to meet one's expectations; the supply meets the demand.
Meet
To come together by mutual approach; esp., to come in contact, or into proximity, by approach from opposite directions; to join; to come face to face; to come in close relationship; as, we met in the street; two lines meet so as to form an angle.
O, when meet nowSuch pairs in love and mutual honor joined !
Meet
To come together with hostile purpose; to have an encounter or conflict.
Weapons more violent, when next we meet,May serve to better us and worse our foes.
Meet
To assemble together; to congregate; as, Congress meets on the first Monday of December.
They . . . appointed a day to meet together.
Meet
To come together by mutual concessions; hence, to agree; to harmonize; to unite.
We met with many things worthy of observation.
Prepare to meet with more than brutal furyFrom the fierce prince.
Meet
An assembling together; esp., the assembling of huntsmen for the hunt; also, the persons who so assemble, and the place of meeting.
Meet
Suitable; fit; proper; appropriate; qualified; convenient.
It was meet that we should make merry.
Meet
Meetly.
Meet
A meeting at which a number of athletic contests are held
Meet
Come together;
I'll probably see you at the meeting
How nice to see you again!
Meet
Get together socially or for a specific purpose
Meet
Be adjacent or come together;
The lines converge at this point
Meet
Fill or meet a want or need
Meet
Satisfy a condition or restriction;
Does this paper meet the requirements for the degree?
Meet
Satisfy or fulfill;
Meet a need
This job doesn't match my dreams
Meet
Get to know; get acquainted with;
I met this really handsome guy at a bar last night!
We met in Singapore
Meet
Collect in one place;
We assembled in the church basement
Let's gather in the dining room
Meet
Meet by design; be present at the arrival of;
Can you meet me at the train station?
Meet
Contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle;
Princeton plays Yale this weekend
Charlie likes to play Mary
Meet
Experience as a reaction;
My proposal met with much opposition
Meet
Undergo or suffer;
Meet a violent death
Suffer a terrible fate
Meet
Be in direct physical contact with; make contact;
The two buildings touch
Their hands touched
The wire must not contact the metal cover
The surfaces contact at this point
Meet
Being precisely fitting and right;
It is only meet that she should be seated first
Common Curiosities
How does the context of usage differ between "meet" and "meat"?
"Meet" is used in social or business contexts, while "meat" is used in dietary and culinary contexts.
Is "meat" used in contexts other than food?
Yes, it can metaphorically represent the substantial part of anything, like an argument.
What is the primary use of the word "meet"?
It's primarily used to describe arranging or encountering someone.
What does it mean to "meet a requirement"?
It means to fulfill or satisfy a specific need or condition.
What ethical considerations affect meat consumption?
Considerations include animal welfare, environmental impact, and health concerns.
How is "meat" viewed in different cultures?
It varies greatly, with some cultures emphasizing its consumption and others advocating vegetarianism.
What types of meat are commonly consumed?
Common types include beef, pork, chicken, and fish.
Can "meet" be used informally?
Yes, it can be used informally to refer to encountering people casually.
What does "meet up" mean?
It refers to an arranged gathering, usually informal, between two or more people.
Can "meet" be used as a noun?
Yes, "meet" can also refer to an event or gathering where people come together.
What is a common substitute for meat in diets?
Common substitutes include plant-based products like tofu and tempeh.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.