dead meat

/ˌdɛd ˈmiːt/

//ˌdɛd ˈmiːt// noun

"dead-meat" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dead meat” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A corpse of a slaughtered animal.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dead-meat · dead meat · English

dead meat · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "D" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for dead meat
PropertyValue
Headworddead meat
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌdɛd ˈmiːt/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “dead meat” in English

dead meatsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

dead meat is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌdɛd ˈmiːt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for dead meat, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct English form is dead meat, spelled D-E-A-D- -M-E-A-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A corpse of a slaughtered animal.
  2. 2
    Someone in danger of being killed or severely punished.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how dead meat appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. We'll be dead meat if anyone catches us smoking.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "dead meat"?
"dead meat" is spelled D-E-A-D- -M-E-A-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌdɛd ˈmiːt/.
What does "dead meat" mean?
As a noun, "dead meat" means: A corpse of a slaughtered animal.
How do you pronounce "dead meat"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dead meat" is /ˌdɛd ˈmiːt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "dead meat" come from?
"dead meat" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list