kosher

[ koh-sher ]
See synonyms for: kosherkoshers on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. Judaism.

    • fit or allowed to be eaten or used, according to the dietary or ceremonial laws: kosher meat; kosher dishes; a kosher Torah scroll.

    • adhering to the laws governing such fitness: a kosher restaurant.

  2. Informal.

    • proper; legitimate.

    • genuine; authentic.

noun
  1. kosher food: Where can I eat kosher in Mexico City?

verb (used with object)
  1. to make kosher: to kosher meat by salting.

Idioms about kosher

  1. keep kosher, to adhere to the dietary laws of Judaism.

Origin of kosher

1
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, noun
  • un·ko·sher, adjective

Words Nearby kosher

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use kosher in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for kosher

kosher

/ (ˈkəʊʃə) /


adjective
  1. Judaism conforming to religious law; fit for use: esp, (of food) prepared in accordance with the dietary laws: See also kasher, kashruth

  2. informal

    • genuine or authentic

    • legitimate or proper

Origin of kosher

1
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.”

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.