kosher

[koh-sher]

adjective

1. 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.

2. Informal.

   1. proper; legitimate.

   2. 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.

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

   1. genuine or authentic

   2. legitimate or proper

kosher

¹

1. 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

²

1. 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.

Other Word Forms

• nonkosher adjective
• unkosher adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of kosher¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of kosher¹

C19: from Yiddish, from Hebrew kāshēr right, proper

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

Example Sentences

I like to rub mine with around four tablespoons of five spice powder, ¼ cup of brown sugar, one tablespoon each of ginger, garlic, and kosher salt, and enough olive oil to make a paste.

Read more on Salon

The first Saturday of the month, our synagogue passes out free bottles of Israeli kosher wine to married couples celebrating anniversaries that month.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The city’s appetizing stores, which first appeared in the late 19th century, are a type of delicatessen that only sells products such as smoked and cured fish, dairy and nuts due to kosher law.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

She starts by drizzling olive oil and sprinkling kosher salt on a slice of homemade sourdough before toasting.

Read more on Salon

Here, her incorrigible Eleanor barks at a grocery store clerk to fetch the kosher pickles and cackles with glee informing her grandson that his mother’s high school nickname was the “class mattress.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• genuine 
• real 
• true 
• unadulterated