English Reference

Word

kiev

Phoneticskiev

/ˌkiˈɛv/

Definitions

01the city

B2

n. the capital city of Ukraine, now usually spelled 'Kyiv' in English.

n. the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. While 'Kiev' was the standard English transliteration for decades, 'Kyiv' is now the preferred spelling in official and journalistic contexts.

“Many older maps show the city as Kiev instead of Kyiv.”

“The historical significance of Kiev as the center of the Kievan Rus remains a vital part of Eastern European academic study.”

Archaic

Teaching tip

This spelling is now considered dated or politically insensitive by many; learners should use 'Kyiv' for the city.

Synonyms

Kyiv

02the dish

B2 · Cooking

n. a dish made of a chicken breast filled with cold garlic butter and then fried.

n. a culinary preparation, specifically 'Chicken Kiev', consisting of a boneless chicken breast pounded and rolled around cold garlic butter, then breaded and deep-fried.

“We ordered a chicken kiev with a side of mashed potatoes.”

“The chef prepared a modern version of the classic kiev, substituting the traditional garlic butter with a wild mushroom reduction.”

Usage

Often used as a countable noun when referring to a single serving.

Synonyms

Chicken Kiev

Etymology

From Russian Ки́ев (Kíjev), from Old East Slavic Кꙑевъ (Kyjevŭ), which folk-etymology derives from the name of city's legendary founder Kyi. Other proposals derive it from Proto-Slavic *kyjь (“stick, club, hammer”) (compare to Russian кий (kij)). See also at the article about Old East Slavic Кꙑевъ (Kyjevŭ).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Domain

Cooking

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

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