meat safe
Definition
Noun: A ventilated cupboard or cabinet, traditionally made of wire mesh or perforated metal, used for storing meat and other perishable food items to protect them from insects and animals while allowing air circulation.
Usage
A "meat safe" is a historical food storage device. It functions as a secure, breathable container. * In the days before refrigeration, a meat safe was essential for keeping food fresh. * The cook placed the freshly cooked ham inside the meat safe on the back porch.
Advanced Usage
- The term is largely historical and evokes a pre-refrigeration era. In modern contexts, it might be used when discussing historical practices, antique furniture, or off-grid living.
- It can be used metaphorically to describe any well-ventilated, protective enclosure.
- The old icebox acted as a makeshift meat safe during the power outage.
Variants and Related Words
- Food safe: A more general modern term for a secure cabinet for storing food.
- Pantry: A small room or cupboard for storing food, but not necessarily ventilated or designed specifically for meat.
- Larder: A cool room for storing food, especially meat.
Synonyms
- Food locker
- Meat locker (though this often implies a refrigerated unit)
- Ventilated food cupboard
Related Phrases/Idioms
- As safe as in a meat safe: An idiom emphasizing secure protection from pests (though this is not a common standardized idiom, it illustrates potential contextual use).
- With the new sealed containers, our supplies are as safe as in a meat safe.
Noun
-
a safe for storing meat
