# kale

/ˈkeɪɫ/ (US) · /kˈeɪl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/kale
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. the vegetable

noun · CEFR B1

a green vegetable with curly leaves that is related to cabbage and is very healthy.

For teachers: a hardy cabbage cultivar (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) with curly green or purple leaves that do not form a compact head.

- I added some fresh kale to my smoothie for extra vitamins.
- The chef massaged the kale with olive oil and lemon to soften its fibrous texture before adding it to the winter salad.

### 2. money

noun · CEFR C2 · Slang · Archaic

an old-fashioned word for money.

For teachers: a slang term for paper money or currency.

- He was always looking for new ways to make some extra kale.
- In the hard-boiled detective novels of the 1930s, characters often referred to their winnings as 'kale' or 'cabbage'.

### 3. a moon of Jupiter

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the name of one of the small moons that travels around the planet Jupiter.

For teachers: a small, retrograde irregular satellite of Jupiter, also known as Jupiter XXXVII.

- Astronomers discovered Kale in 2001 using a powerful telescope.
- Kale belongs to the Carme group, a cluster of Jovian moons that share similar orbital characteristics and are thought to have a common origin.

### 4. Greek mythology

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary

one of the Graces in Greek mythology, representing beauty.

For teachers: one of the Charites (Graces) and a daughter of Zeus, specifically associated with beauty.

- In some ancient stories, Kale is mentioned as the wife of Hephaestus.
- The poet invoked Kale to bless the ceremony with grace and aesthetic perfection.

## Examples

- I like to put fresh kale in my morning smoothie.
- The chef massaged the kale with olive oil and lemon juice to make the leaves softer for the salad.
- While once primarily used as a decorative garnish for buffet tables, kale has seen a massive surge in popularity as a nutrient-dense superfood in modern western diets.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.