Venison
Venison is meat from deer, especially when hunted. Historically, the term could also include meat from other large game animals.
Game meat: Meat from wild animals hunted for food. Venison is the best-known example of meat from hunted wildlife.
Deer: Hoofed mammals in the family Cervidae, including species such as red deer and white-tailed deer. Deer are the animals whose meat is ordinarily called venison.
Beef: Meat from cattle, especially domestic cattle raised for food. Beef is a familiar domestic red meat with more predictable fat content than venison.
Deer hunting: The pursuit and killing of deer for food, population management, or recreation. Hunting supplies much venison and shapes its cultural identity.
Butchery: The practice of slaughtering animals and cutting their carcasses into usable portions. Field dressing and skilled cutting turn a deer carcass into usable venison.
Venison cuts: Portions of a deer carcass, such as loin, haunch, shoulder, and shank. Different cuts vary in tenderness and suit different cooking methods.
Mutton: Meat from an adult sheep. Mutton comes from domesticated livestock, unlike the usual hunted source of venison.
Hunting: The pursuit and capture or killing of wild animals by humans. Venison connects food to the broader practice of hunting.
Curing (food preservation): Food preservation using salt, sugar, smoke, or other agents to inhibit spoilage. Curing preserves venison and produces distinctive flavors in sausages and dried meat.
Lean meat: Meat containing relatively little fat compared with its protein content. Venison is generally leaner than many common domestic meats.