Meat refers to animal tissue, especially that which is consumed as food. There are various kinds of meat, ranging from white meat such as (chicken or turkey) to red meat (such as beef). Some meats, such as ham and pork (both being meats of the pig) resist such strict classification. Animal meat provides humans with all the needed proteins.
Meat is also used in English expressions to mean the important material. To "get to the meat" of a topic means to arrive at the important points. Other foods are often used in this way, such as "the pith of the matter" or also "chew the fat."
In Early Modern English, such as that of the King James Bible or Shakespeare, the word is used to refer to food generally.