coleslaw

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UK/ˈkəʊlslɔː/US/ˈkoʊlslɔ/cot caught merger/ˈkoʊlslɑ/

noun

A salad of finely shredded raw cabbage and sometimes shredded carrots, dressed with mayonnaise (white slaw) or a vinaigrette (red slaw).

Similar
slaw
OriginDutch koolsla ← Middle Dutch col /cole ← Old Dutch *kōl /*kōla →
UncommonScrabble 13
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Meanings

nouncoleslaw (usually uncountable, plural coleslaws)

plural coleslaws · alternative cole slaw

  1. uncountableusuallyA salad of finely shredded raw cabbage and sometimes shredded carrots, dressed with mayonnaise (white slaw) or a vinaigrette (red slaw).

    Synonyms: slaw

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA salad of finely shredded raw cabbage and sometimes shredded carrots, dressed with mayonnaise (white slaw) or a vinaigrette (red slaw).

Similar
slaw

More synonyms by meaning

nounbasically shredded cabbage

Similar
slaw
Broader
salad
Also see
slaw

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*keh₂ulis
  2. Latincaulis
  3. Old Dutch*kōl /*kōla
  4. Middle Dutchcol /cole
  5. Dutchkool
  6. Dutchsla
  7. Dutchkoolsla
  8. Englishcoleslaw

Borrowed from Dutch koolsla (mentioned in English as the Dutch name by at least in 1794), from kool (“cabbage”) + sla (“salad”).

More words from Dutch

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans koolslaai
  • koolslaaia salad
Chinese Mandarin 涼拌捲心菜 /凉拌卷心菜
  • 涼拌捲心菜 /凉拌卷心菜 (liángbàn juǎnxīncài)a salad
Czech zelný salát
  • zelný saláta salad
Dutch koolsla, coleslaw
  • koolslaa salad
  • coleslawa salad
Esperanto brasikosalato
  • brasikosalatoa salad
French coleslaw, salade de chou (New Brunswick)
  • coleslawa salad
  • salade de chou (New Brunswick)a salad
German Krautsalat, Kohlsalat
  • Krautsalata salad
  • Kohlsalata salad
  • Weißkohlsalata salad
Greek λαχανοσαλάτα
  • λαχανοσαλάτα (lachanosaláta)a salad
Hungarian káposztasaláta
  • káposztasalátaa salad
Icelandic hrásalat
  • hrásalata salad
Japanese コールスロー
  • コールスロー (kōrusurō)a salad
Māori roi huamata
  • roi huamataa salad
Polish coleslaw, colesław
  • coleslawa salad
  • colesława salad
  • kolesława salad
Russian сала́т из капу́сты, капу́стный сала́т
  • сала́т из капу́сты (salát iz kapústy)a salad
  • капу́стный сала́т (kapústnyj salát)a salad
Slovak kapustný šalát
  • kapustný šaláta salad
Spanish curtida, ensalada de repollo
  • curtidaa salad
  • ensalada de repolloa salad
Turkish lahana salatası
  • lahana salatasıa salad
Cite this entry
APA

coleslaw. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coleslaw

MLA

“coleslaw.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coleslaw. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “coleslaw,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coleslaw.

Source: coleslaw on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.