Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A sandwich consisting of a long roll filled with thinly sliced grilled beef, cheese, and often grilled onions.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A Philadelphia snack food consisting of chopped steak and melted cheese in a bread roll.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

cheese +‎ steak

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Examples

Comments

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  • I used to live in Philadelphia (33rd and Spring Garden) and sometimes I really really really miss getting a cheesesteak. Whenever I go somewhere on the west coast has a "good" cheesesteak, there is disappointment; it might be "good," but it is no "cheesesteak."

    March 6, 2008

  • Pat's or Geno's, 82times?

    March 7, 2008

  • Ooh, that's a loaded question, c_b!

    82times, I know what you mean. It just doesn't translate outside the area. :-)

    March 7, 2008

  • I expected to like Geno's better, but I liked Pat's. Anyway it's been far too long since I had one.

    March 7, 2008

  • Hey, 82times, I used to live at 20th and Spring Garden! I don't eat red meat anymore, so I have make do with chicken cheesesteaks, which is sacrilege to the purist.

    March 7, 2008

  • Neither Pat's nor Geno's were my favorite. To me, those represent a Platonic form, whereas the cheesesteaks I encountered were from reality. I especially liked the cheesesteaks from corner stores in my neighborhood--particularly Kimey's just south of the corner of 33rd and Spring Garden.

    March 8, 2008

  • Fair enough. I like cheesesteaks from reality too.

    March 8, 2008

  • Wait--I eat chicken cheesesteaks all the time (well, not *all* the time, but fairly often), and I don't think they're sacrilege. But then, I'm not a Philly native--just lived there forever and a day. :-)

    March 10, 2008