Collard

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒlɑː(ɹ)d/

Definitions

1. A leafy green vegetable from the cabbage family, often found in Southern dishes, featuring thick, dark leaves that are traditionally cooked or served with other foods
2. A type of nutritious vegetable with broad, dark green leaves, part of the cruciferous family, commonly prepared in stews or as a side dish
3. A variety of leafy vegetable in the cabbage family, noted for its large, dark green leaves, typically enjoyed in Southern cuisine and often cooked to enhance its flavor

Etymology: "Collard" is a shortened form of "colewort," a name that goes back to Middle English, where it appeared as "colewort," "coolwort," or "coulwort." Each of these combines "cole," an old word for cabbage, with "wort," the Old English term for a plant or herb. So the name literally means "cabbage plant," and it has been applied to the leafy green long before the modern vegetable took its present form. Over time the full word was worn down by speakers who said it more quickly and more casually, dropping the middle syllable and leaving the familiar two-syllable shape. This process, called syncope, is the same one that shortened many other English words. The result is a name that still announces its ancestry, even though most people who eat collards have never heard of colewort.

Synonyms: kale, greens, vegetable