Coles

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kəʊlz/

Definitions

1. A type of leafy vegetable that includes varieties such as broccoli, cabbage, and kale
2. Representing a family of plants known for their edible leaves or flowers
3. Referring to a diverse category of greens often used in salads and cooking

Etymology: The word "coles" is simply the plural of "cole", a term for cabbage-type plants of the genus Brassica. The singular goes back to Old English "cawel", which English borrowed very early from Latin "caulis", meaning "cabbage". Because the Old English form was adopted so long ago, it was shaped by Germanic sound patterns, which is why it looks so different from its Latin parent. The same Latin root produced a surprising family of English words. "Kale" is a doublet of "cole", meaning it descends from the same Latin source but reached English by a separate route, while "caulis" itself survives in scientific and botanical vocabulary. The Germanic cousins across northern Europe, such as Dutch "kool" and German "Kohl", show how widely this ancient borrowing spread.

Synonyms: cabbages, greens, vegetables