Steak Comes From a Norse Word for Roasting on a Spit
A steak is a thick slice of meat. The name refers to how it was cooked rather than where it was cut from.
A steak is a thick slice of meat, usually beef, cut for grilling or frying. Old Norse *steik* meant something roasted on a spit, related to *stik*, a stick — so the word names the cooking method, not the cut. It arrived with Norse settlement and has stayed put ever since. Different countries cut the carcass differently, which is why a French *entrecôte* and an American *ribeye* overlap without matching exactly.
- A thick meat slice. *A beef steak.*
- Steakhouse — a restaurant. *A steakhouse.*
- Rare, medium, well done. *Cooked rare.*
- Old Norse — *steik*, roasted on a spit. *The source.*
- Stake — the homophone. *A stake.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | steak | A steak. |
| Plural | steaks | Steaks. |
| Compound | steakhouse | A steakhouse. |
| Homophone | stake | A stake. |
| Norse | steik | Roast meat. |
- He ordered his steak rare.Cooking.
- Steik meant spit-roasted.Etymology.
- Cuts differ between countries.Butchery.
Common beef steak cuts
- Fillet — the tenderloin, leanest and most tender
- Sirloin — from the back, well balanced
- Ribeye — from the rib, marbled and rich
- Rump — from the hindquarter, firm and flavourful
- T-bone — fillet and sirloin either side of the bone
Old Norse *steik*, roast meat, related to *steikja*, to roast on a spit, and to *stick*.
Are steak and stake related?
No. Steak is Norse and refers to spit-roasting; stake is Old English for a pointed post.
What is a T-bone?
A steak cut across the spine so that a piece of fillet sits on one side of the bone and sirloin on the other.