edema – Abnormal fluid accumulation in the intercellular tissue spaces of the body.

egg tooth – A horny cap on a chick’s upper beak that helps the chick pip through the shell.

elk – A large member of the deer family. Elk meat is called “venison.” Antelope, caribou, elk, deer, moose and reindeer meat is also classified as venison, the most popular large animal game meat in the U.S.

embryo – An animal in the early stages of development in the womb or egg.

emulsified sausage – Cooked sausage whose meat has been finely chopped, such as bologna, frankfurter, or mortadella. In most cases, they are smoked and cooked with moist heat.

endocrine gland – Any of various glands producing hormonal secretions that pass directly into the bloodstream. The endocrine glands include the thyroid, parathyroids, anterior and posterior pituitary, pancreas, adrenals, pineal, and gonads.

enhanced – Term describing meat pumped with added water, flavorings, preservatives, and or salt. Labels of enhance products made also used the terms: “basted,” “pre-basted,” “injected,” or “marinated.”

enteritis – Inflammation of the intestines, especially the small intestine.

entrecôte – (French) A rib-eye steak.

escalope – (French) A thin, boneless piece of meat that is uniform in its thickness and cut from a larger piece; a cutlet.

esophageal groove – Groove in the reticulum which directs milk in a nursing calf from the esophagus to the omasum, a ruminant’s third stomach.

eviscerate – Removal of the internal organs during the slaughtering process.

ewe – A female sheep.

eye of round roast – A roast made from the bovine semitendinosus muscle, common called the eye of round. F1 – Offspring resulting from the mating of a purebred (straightbred) bull to purebred (straightbred) females of another breed.

fabrication –Breaking the carcass into primal, subprimal, or retail cuts. These cuts may be boned and trimmed of excess fat.

farce – (French) A filling.

fatback (or backfat) – A layer of firm subcutaneous porcine fat. It is rendered to make lard; added when making sausages and terrines for added texture, flavor, and moisture; and cured as a stand-alone charcuterie item. See “lardo.”

fat thickness – Subcutaneous fat thickness is a predictor of wholesale bovine cut yield, and represents what is to be trimmed from the carcass. Typically measured at the twelfth and thirteenth rib as inches of fat over the longissimus dorsi muscle.

fed cattle – Steers and heifers that have been fed concentrates, usually for 90 to 120 days in a feedlot or until they reach a desired slaughter weight.

feed additive – An ingredient such as an antibiotic or hormone-like substance that is added to an animal’s diet to perform a specific role.

feed bunk – Trough or container used to feed cattle.

feed efficiency – (1) Amount of feed required to produce a unit of weight gain or milk. (2) Amount of gain made per unit of feed.

feed markup – Per-ton feed cost charged to the customer by the feed yard for the cattle-feeding services it provides.

feeder – (1) Cattle that need further feeding prior to slaughter. (2) Producer who feeds cattle.

feeder grades – Grouping of feeder cattle to predict the slaughter weight endpoint of a desirable fat-to-lean composition. Frame size and thickness are the two criteria used to determine feeder grade.

feedlot – Enterprise in which cattle are fed grain and other concentrates for usually 90 to120 days. Feedlots range in size from less than 100-head capacity to many thousands.

fell – The fell is the paper-thin covering of outer fat on a roast. It is usually removed for small cuts, like chops, but kept in place for roasts and legs because it helps retain the shape and juiciness when cooking.

femininity – Well-developed secondary female sex characteristics, udder development, and refinement in head and neck.

fermière – A rustic and simple style of cutting, like that of a farmer.

filet mignon – Traditionally, a thick (2-1/2 in) steak sliced from the mid-region of the bovine psoas major muscle and devoid of any connective tissue or fat. The term may now refer to any steak cut from the beef tenderloin and may include the psoas major, psoas minor, sartorius muscles as well as connecting tissue and fat.

fill – Contents of the digestive tract.

fines herbes – (French) A mixture of herbs added at the end of cooking so they don’t lose their flavor. Parsley, chervil, tarragon, or chives are common.

finish – (1) Degree of fatness of an animal. (2) Completion of the last feeding phase of slaughter cattle.

finished cattle – Fed cattle whose time in the feedlot is completed and are now ready for slaughter.

finishing ration – Feedlot ration, usually high in energy and fed during the latter part of the feeding period.

flank steak – Consists of the rectus abdominis muscle from the flank region and is separated from the transversus abdominis, obliquus abdominis internus, and obliquus abdominis externus muscles through the natural seams. It is practically free of fat and the membranous tissue. Some butchers label this cut as a London broil.

flat iron steak – The American name for the cut known as “butlers’ steak” in the UK and “oyster blade steak” in Australia and New Zealand. The steak encompasses the bovine infraspinatus muscles, and is located adjacent to the heart of the shoulder clod, under the seven or paddle bone (shoulder blade or scapula). It is sometimes sold as a “top blade” roast. Steaks that are cross cut from this muscle are called “top blade” steaks or “patio” steaks. As a whole cut of meat, it usually weighs around two to three pounds. The entire top blade usually yields four steaks between eight and 12 ounces each. Flat iron steaks usually have a significant amount of marbling.

flehmen – Pattern of behavior expressed by animals where they draw back their lips in a manner that makes them appear to be “grimacing” or “smirking”. Bull exhibit this behavior as they commence sexual activity.

flushing – Placing females on a high level of nutrition before breeding to decrease postpartum interval and possibly stimulate an increased conception rate.

follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) – Hormone produced and released by the anterior pituitary that stimulates the development of the follicle in the ovary.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – United States government agency responsible for protecting the public against impure and unsafe foods, drugs, veterinary products, biologics, and other products.

Food Marketing Institute (FMI) – National association of food retailers and wholesalers located in Washington, DC, that conducts programs of research, education, and public affairs for its members.

foot and mouth disease (FMD) – Highly contagious disease affecting many species of livestock including cattle. This disease is of particular concern in that it can lead to loss of export markets.

footrot – Disease of the foot in cattle.

forage – Grazed or harvested herbaceous plants that are utilized by cattle.

forage production – The total amount of dry matter (forage) produced per unit of area on an annual basis (e.g., lb/acre/year).

foie gras – The fattened liver of a duck or goose. See “gavage.”

fond – (French) Base or bottom. In cooking, a fond is the term for stocks used in the preparation of sauces. American chefs may refer to the particles stuck to the bottom of a pan from cooking as the fond.

forb – Weedy or broad-leaf plants (unlike grasses) that serve as pasture for animals (e.g., clover, alfalfa).

forequarter- The neck, shoulder, front legs, breast, and ribs of any meat animal.

fork tender – Referring to cooked meat easily cut or broken up with a fork.

founder – Nutritional ailment resulting from overeating. Lameness in front feet with excessive hoof growth usually occurs.

frame score – An objective, numerical description of cattle skeletal size which reflects the growth pattern and potential mature size of an animal. Values typically range from 2 to 9 and are calculated from hip height and age. Frame scores are frequently reported as supplementary information to weight and other performance data. They can be used to project mature size, provide an indication of composition, and characterize performance potential and nutritional requirements of an animal.

frankfurter – One of the many names traditionally given to a slender, emulsified sausage. See “hot dog.”

freemartin – Female born twin to a bull (approximately 90% of such heifers will never conceive).

freezer burn – The discoloration and dehydration of flesh in freezer-stored meats due to exposure to air.

frenched – The process of removing meat and connective tissue from a bone end to make its presentation more sophisticated. Rib and shank bones are those usually “frenched.”

fresh ham – Meat from the hind leg of a pig that is neither cured or smoked.

fricassee – A preparation of poultry, rabbit, or other white meat in a sauce. In American cooking, it is a method of stewing whereas in French cooking it is a method of braising.

fumet – (French) Literally, aroma. A shorthand reference to a fumet de poisson, or a fish stock.

galantine – (French) Meat or fish, generally poultry, that is de-boned fully or partially, stuffed, and rolled back together. Then poached and served cold, sometimes in aspic.

gelatin – A translucent, colorless, brittle, flavorless, irreversibly hydrolyzed form of collagen. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food. Common sources for production include porcine skin, bovine hides, and animal bones. In the kitchen, gelatin is a common by-product from the production of charcuterie and stocks.

gene – Segment of DNA in the chromosome that codes for a trait and determines how a trait will develop.

generation interval – Average age of the parents when the offspring destined to replace them are born. A generation represents the average rate of turnover of a herd.

generation turnover – Length of time from one generation of animals to the next generation.

genetic correlations – Correlations between two traits that arise because some of the same genes affect both traits. When two traits, such as weaning and yearling weight, are positively and highly correlated to one another successful selection for one trait will result in an increase in the other trait. When two traits are negatively and highly correlated, such as birth weight and calving ease, to one another, successful selection for one trait will result in a decrease in the other trait.

genetic engineering – Changing the characteristics of an animal by altering or rearranging its DNA. It is an all-embracing term for several techniques: (1) manipulations at a cellular level (cloning); (2) manipulation of the DNA itself (gene manipulation); and (3) changing the DNA sequence through the selection and mating of cattle.

Genoa salami – A smooth textured, cured, pork sausage seasoned with garlic and spices named for its northern Italian city of origin.

genotype-environment interaction – Variation in the relative performance of different genotypes from one environment to another. For example, the “best” cattle (genotypes) for one environment may not be the “best” for another environment.

German hard salami – A fine-textured blend of pork and beef, accented with garlic and smoky flavor. It is firmer than Genoa salami.

gestation – Time from conception until the female gives birth, an average of 285 days in cows, 147 days in ewes, and 113 days in sows.

giblets – The liver, heart, gizzard, and neck of a chicken or other fowl, usually removed from the carcass and cooked separately.

gizzard – An organ found in the digestive tract of poultry. This specialized stomach is constructed of thick, muscular walls and is used for grinding up food, often with the aid of pebbles ingested by the bird.

gonad – Organ that produces spermatozoa in the male, the testicle, and the egg cells in the female, the ovary.

grade – A designation that indicates quality or yield of meat.

grade and yield – Marketing transaction whereby payment is made on the basis of carcass weight and quality grade.

grade augmentation – Supplementation of traditional USDA visual carcass grading that allows for sub-grading.

grading up – Continued use of purebred sires of the same breed in a grade herd.

grain-fed – Refers to livestock that has been fed grain mostly grain after weaning.

grain-finished – This term refers to pastured animals that are given a grain diet in the months before slaughter.

grass tetany – Disease of cattle marked by staggering, convulsions, coma, and frequently death that is caused by a magnesium imbalance while grazing lush pasture.

grass-fed – Refers to livestock that has been fed herbaceous plants for its entire lifecycle following weaning.

grazier – A person who manages grazing livestock.

grazing cell – A parcel of land subdivided into paddocks and grazed rotationally.

grazing cycle – The length of time between two grazing periods in a particular paddock of a grazing unit. One grazing cycle includes one grazing period and one rest period.

green chorizo – A form of chorizo from Toluca, Mexico. Although often sold in casings, the forcemeat is removed from the casing for cooking. The cooked chorizo resembles ground beef.

grilling – A method of dry cooking that includes searing and cooking on a grill over a radiant heat source, usually wood coals or a gas fire.

gross margin – Difference between the revenue and variable production cost for one unit (one acre or one animal) of an enterprise.

ground beef – Beef that has been ground or finely chopped. Usually produced from trim in butcher shops, commercial ground beef is made from the entire animal.

growing ration – Usually a high-roughage ration whereby gains of 0.25 to 2 pounds per day are anticipated.

growth – Increase in protein over its loss in the animal body. Growth occurs by increases in cell numbers, cell size, or both.

grubs – Larvae of the heel fly found on the backs of cattle under the hide.

guanciale – (Italian) A cured, unsmoked pork jowl bacon. See pancetta.

half–sib – Animals having one common parent.

ham – A general term for cured pork meat. The ham may be smoked or not, cooked or not, fresh or dried, and on the bone or not.

ham hock – The ham hock is either the distal portion of the shank or the whole shank, depending on the butcher. The tibia and fibula (hind legs) or ulna and radius (fore leg) are sawed so the interior of the bones are exposed at both ends.

hand mating – Bringing a female to a male for breeding, after which she is removed from the area where the male is located (same as hand breeding).

hanger steak – A cut from the muscle on the inside of the beef carcass, attached to the last rib, diaphragm and kidney, right below the tenderloin in the plate primal. It is called hanger because it appears to “hang” from the diaphragm of the steer. Also called onglet (French), lombatello (Italian), and solomillo de pulmón (Spanish).

hanging tenderloin – Lumbar portion of the diaphragm muscle. Also called the Thick Skirt.

hard salami – See “German hard salami.”

hardware disease – Ingested sharp objects perforate the reticulum and cause infection of the heart sac, lungs, or abdominal cavity.

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) – A process used to identify those steps in production where mistakes may critically damage the final performance of the product and to establish a system of monitoring and intervention to avoid these mistakes.

heart girth – Circumference of the animal’s body, measured just behind the shoulders.

heat increment – Increase in heat production following consumption of feed when an animal is in a thermoneutral environment. It includes additional heat generated in fermentation, digestion, and nutrient metabolism.

hedge – Risk management strategy that allows a producer to lock in a price for a given commodity at a specified time.

heifer – Young bovine cow prior to the time that she has produced her first calf.

heiferette – Heifer that has calved once and is then fed for slaughter. The calf has usually died or been weaned at an early age.

heritability – Portion of the phenotypic differences between animals that is due to heredity.

heritage breed – Breed produced from purebred and cross-bred livestock from rare species.

heterosis – Performance of offspring that is greater than the average of the parents. Usually referred to as the amount of superiority of the crossbred over the average of the parental breeds. Also called “hybrid vigor.”

Himalayan beef – Another name for yak. The yak is more environmentally friendly than beef and easier to handle than bison. Americans don’t understand “yak meat”; hence, the more food-friendly name. Yaks need far less food than either bison or beef. To gain one pound, yaks need 6 pounds of forage, compared to 8 pounds for beef and 12 for bison. Yak meat is 95 to 97% lean. Grass-fed without hormones or antibiotics, yak is also low in palmitic acid, which effects bad cholesterol production.

hindquarter – The rear leg and hip portion of a quadruped.

hiplock – Condition at calving in which the hips of the calf cannot pass through the pelvis of the cow.

hormones – A chemical released by a cell or a gland in one part of the body that sends out messages that affect cells in other parts of the organism. Only a small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism. In essence, it is a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one cell to another.

hot dog – A slender, emulsified sausage derived from the “frankfurter.” It is typically eaten in a bun or roll.

hot links – The commercial name for Cajun-style andouille sausages. Commercially produced hot links are generally less fatty, smoother, and contain a higher percentage of meat than the originals.

hot-fat trimming – Removal of excess surface fat while the carcass is still hot, immediately after slaughter and dressing and prior to chilling the carcass.

hot-house lamb – A young lamb that has been entirely milk-fed and not pastured.

hot smoking – A method of cooking meat and fish by exposing the protein to smoke a in controlled environment of between 165 °F and 185 °F (74 °C and 85 °C). The smoked items are safe to eat without further cooking.

hot weight – Weight of carcass just after slaughter and prior to chilling.

HRI (hotel, restaurant, and institutional) – A term used in the context that some beef is supplied to the HRI trade.