Flesh is the soft tissue of the body that covers your bones, made mostly of muscle and fat. When you press your arm or cheek, you're feeling flesh. Animals have flesh too, which is why we sometimes call meat “flesh” when we're talking about what people or animals eat.

The word also describes the soft, edible part of fruits and vegetables. The flesh of an apple is the white, crispy part you bite into after breaking through the skin. A watermelon has sweet red flesh inside its hard green rind. Peaches, mangoes, and tomatoes all have flesh that we eat.

When something happens “in the flesh,” it means in person, in physical form. Meeting a famous author in the flesh feels different from just seeing their photo or reading their books. The phrase captures the idea that there's something special about encountering the actual, physical person rather than just an image or recording.

The word flesh can also appear in phrases like “flesh and blood,” meaning real human beings with all their imperfections and vulnerabilities. Your flesh and blood relatives are your family members, connected to you by birth. Writers sometimes contrast “flesh and blood” people with heroes from stories, reminding us that real people are more complicated than fictional characters.