Definition

Noun: * Cold, sliced meat for sandwiches: "Lunch meat" refers to precooked or cured meats that are sliced and typically served cold, often in sandwiches or as part of a cold platter. It includes various types like sliced sausages, ham, turkey, or molded meat loaves.

Usage

"Lunch meat" is an uncountable noun. You refer to it as a category, not individual slices. * Correct: I need to buy some lunch meat. * Less Common: I need to buy a lunch meat. (You would specify the type, e.g., a package of lunch meat or some sliced turkey).

Examples

Advanced Usage

• The term is often associated with pre-packaged, processed meats but can also apply to high-quality, freshly sliced meats from a delicatessen when they are intended for the same use.
• It is a common compound noun in American English. In British English, similar products are often referred to as "cold cuts" or "sliced meats."

Variants and Related Words

• Cold cuts (n.): A synonym often used interchangeably with "lunch meat," especially for a variety of sliced meats served together.
• Deli meat (n.): Another common synonym, emphasizing the association with a delicatessen.
• Processed meat (n.): A broader, more technical term that includes lunch meat but also refers to other meats preserved by smoking, curing, or salting.

Synonyms

• Cold cuts
• Deli meat
• Sliced meat
• Charcuterie (This term is of French origin and typically implies a wider, often more artisanal, assortment of prepared meat products, including pâtés and terrines.)

Related Phrases

• Lunch meat platter: A selection of various lunch meats arranged for serving.
  • They served a lunch meat platter with crackers and cheese.

Noun

1. any of various sausages or molded loaf meats sliced and served cold