Animals and Their Meat Name: 50 Types of Meat with Pictures

Animals and their meat names are an important part of English food vocabulary. The meat from an animal can have the same name as the animal, or it can have a completely different name. For example, cow gives us beef, while pig gives us pork and sheep gives us mutton. This vocabulary also includes fish, seafood, poultry, farm animals, and game animals. Learning these names helps with cooking, shopping, restaurant menus, food labels, and everyday English.

Common Animals and Their Meat Names

These are some of the most common animal names and meat terms used in English. The short facts also show how each word is normally used.

• Cow — Beef: Cows are raised mainly for beef production.
• Calf — Veal: Veal comes from young cattle calves.
• Pig — Pork: Pork is widely eaten around the world.
• Sheep — Mutton: Mutton usually means meat from adult sheep.
• Lamb — Lamb: Lamb refers to meat from young sheep.
• Goat — Chevon: Chevon is the formal name for goat meat.
• Chicken — Chicken: Chicken is one of the most-consumed meats.
• Turkey — Turkey: Turkey meat commonly appears during holiday meals.
• Duck — Duck: Duck meat has a rich, distinctive flavour.
• Goose — Goose: Goose meat is darker and quite fatty.
• Deer — Venison: Venison usually refers to meat from deer.
• Rabbit — Rabbit: Rabbit meat is lean and mildly flavoured.
• Horse — Horse meat: Horse meat is eaten in some countries.
• Buffalo — Buffalo: Buffalo meat is often called buffalo beef.
• Camel — Camel: Camel meat is traditionally eaten in several regions.

50 Animals and Their Meat Name

Here is the complete list of animals and their meat names, including common livestock, poultry, game animals, and less-common food animals.

Important: Meat terminology varies by country and culinary tradition. Some animals simply use the animal’s name followed by meat, rather than having a separate traditional meat word.

Meat Names by Animal Category

Different animal groups use different vocabulary patterns. Traditional English has special meat terms for several familiar farm animals, while many other animals use their ordinary names.

Farm Animals

• Cow — Beef
• Calf — Veal
• Pig — Pork
• Sheep — Mutton
• Lamb — Lamb
• Goat — Chevon
• Buffalo — Buffalo meat
• Camel — Camel meat
• Yak — Yak meat
• Water buffalo — Buffalo meat

Here’s the list of farm animal names with pictures.

Poultry and Game Birds

• Chicken — Chicken
• Turkey — Turkey
• Duck — Duck
• Goose — Goose
• Pheasant — Pheasant meat
• Quail — Quail meat
• Partridge — Partridge meat
• Pigeon — Squab
• Guinea fowl — Guinea fowl meat
• Ostrich — Ostrich meat
• Emu — Emu meat
• Wild turkey — Wild turkey meat
• Teal — Teal meat
• Woodcock — Woodcock meat
• Grouse — Grouse meat
• Ptarmigan — Ptarmigan meat

Wild and Game Animals

• Deer — Venison
• Rabbit — Rabbit
• Hare — Hare meat
• Bison — Bison meat
• Reindeer — Reindeer meat
• Elk — Elk meat
• Moose — Moose meat
• Antelope — Antelope meat
• Kangaroo — Kangaroo meat
• Wild boar — Wild boar meat
• Zebra — Zebra meat
• Musk ox — Musk ox meat

Related: Wild Animal Names with Pictures

Fish and Seafood

• Salmon — Salmon
• Tuna — Tuna
• Cod — Cod
• Haddock — Haddock
• Herring — Herring
• Mackerel — Mackerel
• Sardine — Sardine
• Anchovy — Anchovy
• Trout — Trout
• Carp — Carp
• Halibut — Halibut
• Swordfish — Swordfish
• Catfish — Catfish
• Bass — Bass
• Snapper — Snapper
• Grouper — Grouper
• Flounder — Flounder
• Sole — Sole
• Eel — Eel
• Pike — Pike
• Shrimp — Shrimp
• Prawn — Prawn
• Crab — Crab
• Lobster — Lobster
• Mussel — Mussel

Other Meat Animals

• Horse — Horse meat
• Llama — Llama meat
• Alpaca — Alpaca meat
• Guinea pig — Guinea pig meat
• Capybara — Capybara meat
• Alligator — Alligator meat
• Crocodile — Crocodile meat
• Kangaroo rat — Kangaroo rat meat

Red Meat, White Meat, and Game Meat

Meat vocabulary is also grouped by culinary and nutritional categories.

• Red meat: Beef, lamb, mutton, goat, venison, bison, and similar meats.
• White meat: Chicken and turkey are common examples.
• Poultry: Meat from domesticated birds such as chicken, turkey, duck, and goose.
• Game meat: Meat from hunted or traditionally wild animals, such as venison, pheasant, grouse, and hare.
• Processed meat: Meat changed through methods such as curing, smoking, salting, or fermentation.
• Organ meat: Edible animal organs, including liver, kidney, heart, and tongue.

Common Meat Vocabulary

Common Mistakes and Confusing Meat Names

• Mutton and lamb are different: Mutton usually comes from adult sheep, while lamb comes from young sheep.
• Beef does not mean cow meat only: Beef generally means meat from cattle.
• Veal is not ordinary beef: Veal specifically comes from young cattle.
• Venison is not only one deer species: The term can refer to meat from deer and, historically, certain other game animals.

Practice: Match the Animal With Its Meat

Choose the correct meat name for each animal.

1. Cow →
   A. Pork
   B. Beef
   C. Venison
2. Pig →
   A. Pork
   B. Mutton
   C. Veal
3. Sheep →
   A. Beef
   B. Mutton
   C. Squab
4. Calf →
   A. Veal
   B. Pork
   C. Chevon
5. Goat →
   A. Venison
   B. Chevon
   C. Beef
6. Deer →
   A. Venison
   B. Pork
   C. Lamb
7. Pigeon →
   A. Squab
   B. Veal
   C. Mutton
8. Young sheep →
   A. Lamb
   B. Beef
   C. Pork

Answers

1. B — Beef
2. A — Pork
3. B — Mutton
4. A — Veal
5. B — Chevon
6. A — Venison
7. A — Squab
8. A — Lamb

FAQs About Types of Meat

Conclusion

Learning Animals and Their Meat Name helps build useful English vocabulary for food, restaurants, shopping, cooking, and everyday conversations. The most important terms to remember include beef, pork, mutton, lamb, veal, chevon, and venison. Understanding these differences also makes food-related English much easier to recognize and use correctly.

Explore More Animals Vocabulary

• Animal Homes and Shelters Name in English
• List of 100+ Baby Animal Names in English
• 50+ Nocturnal Animal Names with Pictures
• 70+ Mountain Animal Names in English
• Grassland Animal Names in English with Pictures