Surloigne

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An archaic spelling for a prime cut of beef taken from the upper back section near the loin
2. Old form of the word for a choice joint of beef cut from the top of the loin along the back
3. A historical variant name for the tender cut of beef that comes from the upper loin of an animal

Etymology: Surloin, the older spelling of "sirloin," comes from Old French "surlonge," formed from "sur," meaning "over" or "above," and "longe," meaning "loin." The loin is the back part of an animal's body, and the cut was named for its position along the spine, above the loin. The most famous part of the story is a legend, not a fact. It holds that King James I of England knighted a particularly fine piece of beef, calling it "Sir Loin." This is a folk etymology, and no reliable evidence supports it. The name had the French meaning long before any English king could have been involved. The spelling "sirloin" arose in English through the influence of the knighting myth, while the earlier form "surloin" reflects the word's French ancestry more directly.

Synonyms: sirloin