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kosher

[ koh-sher ]
/ ˈkoʊ ʃər /
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See synonyms for: kosher / koshers on Thesaurus.com

adjective
Judaism.
  1. fit or allowed to be eaten or used, according to the dietary or ceremonial laws: kosher meat; kosher dishes; a kosher Torah scroll.
  2. adhering to the laws governing such fitness: a kosher restaurant.
Informal.
  1. proper; legitimate.
  2. genuine; authentic.
noun
kosher food: Where can I eat kosher in Mexico City?
verb (used with object)
to make kosher: to kosher meat by salting.
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Idioms about kosher

    keep kosher, to adhere to the dietary laws of Judaism.
Also kasher.

Origin of kosher

First recorded in 1850–55 for def. 1; 1885–90 for def. 3; 1895–1900 for def. 2; from Yiddish, from Ashkenazi pronunciation of Hebrew kāshēr “right, fit”

OTHER WORDS FROM kosher

non·ko·sher, adjective, nounun·ko·sher, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use kosher in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for kosher

kosher
/ (ˈkəʊʃə) /

adjective
Judaism conforming to religious law; fit for use: esp, (of food) prepared in accordance with the dietary lawsSee also kasher, kashruth
informal
  1. genuine or authentic
  2. legitimate or proper

Word Origin for kosher

C19: from Yiddish, from Hebrew kāshēr right, proper
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for kosher (1 of 2)

kosher

Food that is permitted according to a set of dietary restrictions found in the Old Testament. For many Jews (see also Jews), foods that are not kosher cannot be eaten. The term can also be used colloquially to mean anything acceptable: “I don't think it's kosher to yell at your chess opponent when he is thinking about his next move.”

Cultural definitions for kosher (2 of 2)

kosher

The descriptive term in Judaism for food and other objects that are clean according to its laws. These laws are contained in the Torah and forbid, for example, the eating of pork or shellfish, the mixing of dairy products and meat, and certain methods of slaughtering animals.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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