Beef n.
 1. An animal of the genus Bos, especially the common species, Bos taurus, including the bull, cow, and ox, in their full grown state; esp., an ox or cow fattened for food.
 Note: [In this, which is the original sense, the word has a plural, beeves ]
    A herd of beeves, fair oxen and fair kine.   --Milton.
 2. The flesh of an ox, or cow, or of any adult bovine animal, when slaughtered for food.
 Note: [In this sense, the word has no plural.] “Great meals of beef.”
 3. Applied colloquially to human flesh.


 Bos taurus
      n : domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or
          age; "so many head of cattle"; "wait till the cows come
          home"; "seven thin and ill-favored kine"- Bible; "a team
          of oxen" [syn: cattle, cows, kine, oxen]