κρέας
kréas
G2907 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
meat, specifically the flesh of animals as prepared for food. In Greek usage, particularly refers to the edible portion of animal flesh, often in distinction from other foods or parts of an animal. The term is neutral and does not inherently carry ritual, sacrificial, or cultic connotations. In certain contexts, can refer to meat as an item of commerce or diet, as opposed to plant-based foods.
Semantic Range
meat for eating, animal flesh (for consumption), an item of diet or food, the edible part of an animal, butchered meat
Root / Etymology
Root κρεα-, etymology uncertain; the term appears across Greek dialects but is not clearly derived from another Greek verb or noun, though possibly related to PIE *kreu- (to push, beat), giving sense of 'that which is cut off.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, κρέας generally refers to animal flesh when used as food, regardless of how it was obtained (e.g., through sacrifice, hunting, butchery). It was not specifically technical to cultic (ritual) use, unlike θῦμα (offering) or σῶμα (body, often with a broader range of meanings). In the Septuagint and New Testament, κρέας appears less frequently than σάρξ (which more often means 'flesh' or 'body' in a general or sometimes metaphorical sense). Κρέας is often used in dietary instructions or discussions about eating meat, especially where the specific fact of the food being animal flesh—as opposed to bread, grain, or other foods—is emphasized. English translations usually render κρέας as 'meat' or 'flesh,' but 'flesh' when used in English often carries broader or more metaphorical meanings than the Greek word typically implies. Distinction should be noted between κρέας ('meat' for food) and σάρξ (which can refer to flesh, body, person, or human nature, and often has theological or moral nuances in later Christian usage).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
perhaps a primary word; (butcher's) meat:--flesh.
Root Family
κρέας (kreas) — meat, animal flesh (as food)
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2907-01 |
κρέα | krea | N ACC N PL |
meat | meats | meat | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2907-01 |
Romans 14:21 | κρέα | krea | N ACC N PL |
meat | meats | meat |
G2907-01 |
1 Corinthians 8:13 | κρέα | krea | N ACC N PL |
meat | meats | meat |