English Reference

Word

kosher

US/ˈkoʊʃɝ/

UK/kˈəʊʃɐ/

Definition

adj. describing food that is prepared according to Jewish law. In a more general way, it means something is honest, legal, or correct.

adj. conforming to Jewish dietary laws; in a broader secular context, satisfying requirements of legitimacy, honesty, or correctness. Often used predicatively to describe a situation or deal.

Examples

“The restaurant serves only kosher meat.”

“The lawyer checked the contract to make sure the entire deal was completely kosher.”

Examples

simple

“The restaurant serves only kosher meat.”

contextual

“The lawyer checked the contract to make sure the entire deal was completely kosher.”

Usage

Often follows a linking verb like 'be' or 'seem' when used in its informal sense of 'legitimate'.

Etymology

Borrowed from Yiddish כּשר (kosher), from Hebrew כָּשֵׁר (kashér).

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

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

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