meat market
Học thuậtThân thiện
A butcher arranges fresh cuts of meat in the display case at the meat market.
Definition
Noun: 1. A shop selling meat and poultry: A retail establishment where fresh meat, poultry, and sometimes fish are sold to consumers. 2. A situation or place where people are treated impersonally or as commodities: (Figurative/Slang) A context, often a social gathering like a bar or club, where people are viewed or treated primarily as objects for romantic or sexual pursuit, rather than as individuals.
Usage Examples
Literal meaning:
- I need to stop by the meat market to buy a chicken for dinner.
- The old-fashioned meat market on the corner has the best cuts of beef.
Figurative/Slang meaning:
- That singles bar feels like a total meat market; everyone is just sizing each other up.
- Some people avoid dating apps because they don't want to participate in a digital meat market.
Advanced Usage
- The figurative use often carries a negative connotation, criticizing environments perceived as superficial or dehumanizing.
- It can be applied to various contexts beyond social scenes, such as certain competitive job fairs or industries where people are evaluated solely on superficial attributes.
Variants and Related Words
- Butcher shop: A more common and neutral synonym for the literal meaning of a shop selling meat.
- Cattle market: A similar slang term, primarily used in British English, with the same figurative meaning.
Synonyms
- Literal: Butcher shop, butcher's, meat shop.
- Figurative: Pickup joint, singles bar (for the place); dehumanizing environment.
Related Idioms & Phrases
- To be on the market: (Idiom) To be available for sale or, figuratively, for dating. While related in theme to the figurative use of "meat market," it is a separate phrase.
- After his divorce, he was back on the market.
A butcher arranges fresh cuts of meat in the display case at the meat market.
Noun
- a shop in which meat and poultry (and sometimes fish) are sold