Kale

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /keɪl/

Definitions

1. This nutrient-dense green vegetable, often included in salads and smoothies, is celebrated for its health benefits and belongs to the cabbage family, contributing to a variety of dishes
2. Recognized for its healthful properties, this dark leafy vegetable is utilized in many recipes including salads and smoothies, and is related to cabbages within the cruciferous family
3. This leafy green vegetable, known for its high nutritional value, is often featured in healthy dishes like salads and juices while belonging to the broader family of cabbages

Etymology: Kale is a cabbage that never formed a head. Its English name is a survivor of an ancient Mediterranean crop: the Old English "cāl" and the Northern Middle English "cale" trace back to Latin "caulis", meaning stem or cabbage, the same root that gave English "cole" (also a cabbage). The two words are doublets, meaning that English borrowed the same Latin source twice, once through an early Old English route and again later, producing two forms that diverged in sound and meaning. The same Latin root also reached English as "gobi", a bit of French-influenced vocabulary where it sits alongside the cabbage family. The German "Kohl" and the Icelandic "kál", both meaning cabbage, reflect the same ancestry, showing how widely the Latin crop name spread across northern Europe.

Synonyms: cabbage, greens

Antonyms: unhealthy food