Meatrock means: A piece of highly processed mechanically separated chicken that is used as an ingredient for meals served in the US prison system.. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. It comes from prison or criminal-justice contexts; worth knowing what media your teen is consuming. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
meatrock
(slang, American, prison) A piece of highly processed mechanically separated chicken that is used as an ingredient for meals served in the US prison system.
Definitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
(slang, American, prison) A piece of highly processed mechanically separated chicken that is used as an ingredient for meals served in the US prison system.
It was originally served in the form of handmade meatball-like chunks that resemble medium sized rocks (hence the prison name “meatrock”)
Origin: From ; from the food's resemblance to a piece of rock in some forms. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
Meatrock means: A piece of highly processed mechanically separated chicken that is used as an ingredient for meals served in the US prison system.. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. It comes from prison or criminal-justice contexts; worth knowing what media your teen is consuming. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
meatrock means: A piece of highly processed mechanically separated chicken that is used as an ingredient for meals served in the US prison system.. Register: very informal, slang. Suitable only for casual conversation, chat and social media. Do not use in business, academic or news writing. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Cluster: food_drink
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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Other words near "meatrock" (M)
meat crayonmeat drawmeatheadmeatpackingmeat piemeatpuppetmeat-safe cotmeat teameat traymeatworksmebosmecate
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