Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A thin slice of meat, usually veal or lamb, cut from the leg or ribs.
  • noun A patty of chopped meat or fish, usually coated with bread crumbs and fried; a flat croquette.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A piece of meat, especially veal or mutton, cut horizontally from the upper part of the leg, for broiling or frying.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A piece of meat, especially of veal or mutton, cut for broiling.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A thin slice of meat, usually fried.
  • noun A chop, a specific piece of meat cut from the side of an animal, especially said of pork, chicken, and beef.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun thin slice of meat (especially veal) usually fried or broiled

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French côtelette, from Old French costelette, diminutive of coste, rib, from Latin costa; see kost- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French côtelette (recorded in English since 1706), from Old French costelette "little rib," from coste "rib, side", from Latin costa; influenced (popular etymology) by English cut.

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Examples

  • The History The "katsu" in tonkatsu is short for the Japanese rendering of "cutlet" -- katsuretto

    Tonkatsu 2009

  • A cutlet is a breast half (or thigh) that is both skinless and boneless and sometimes has been pounded to flatten.

    The Perdue Chicken Cookbook Mitzi Perdue

  • In the earlier part of the 'merry monarch's' reign, the eating-house most popular with young barristers and law-students was kept by a French cook named Chattelin, who, besides entertaining his customers with delicate fare and choice wine, enriched our language with the word 'cutlet' -- in his day spelt costelet.

    A Book About Lawyers John Cordy Jeaffreson 1866

  • A paillard is, similarly, a thin piece of meat, and scaloppine and schnitzel - German for "cutlet" - are generally dredged lightly in flour or beaten eggs and bread crumbs before a light or deep fry.

    SFGate: Don Asmussen: Bad Reporter Sophie Brickman 2011

  • How it became a descriptor for a cutlet is a mystery to me, but input from etymologists is welcome.

    NYT > Home Page By MARK BITTMAN 2011

  • The stage tea, of which a second cup is always refused; the stage cutlet, which is removed with the connivance of the guest after two mouthfuls; the stage cigarette, which nobody ever seems to want to smoke to the end -- thinking of these as they make their appearances in the houses of the titled, one would say that the hospitality of the peerage was not a thing to make any great rush for ....

    The Sunny Side 1919

  • The stage tea, of which a second cup is always refused; the stage cutlet, which is removed with the connivance of the guest after two mouthfuls; the stage cigarette, which nobody ever seems to want to smoke to the end -- thinking of these as they make their appearances in the houses of the titled, one would say that the hospitality of the peerage was not a thing to make any great rush for ....

    Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 146, June 17, 1914 Various 1898

  • Katsu is the Japanified word for 'cutlet', and tonkatsu is one of the most popular representatives of the Katsu world.

    Archive 2005-05-01 2005

  • Katsu is the Japanified word for 'cutlet', and tonkatsu is one of the most popular representatives of the Katsu world.

    Paper Chef: Strawberry Katsu 2005

  • "cutlet" with him at the "Clarendon," not to go home -- are only to be equalled by the admirable tact on the ground -- the studiously elegant salute to the adverse party, half a la Napoleon, and half Beau Brummell

    The Confessions of Harry Lorrequer — Volume 1 Charles James Lever 1839

Comments

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  • I like saying 'cutlet' with a fake, bad accent

    December 6, 2006