Meanings
kale1
plural kales
- uncountableusuallyAn edible plant, similar to cabbage, with curled leaves that do not form a dense head (Brassica oleracea var. acephala)
Synonyms: borecole
- uncountableusuallyAny of several cabbage-like food plants that are kinds of Brassica oleracea.
- uncountableusuallycookingBroth containing kale as a chief ingredient.
- datedslanguncountableusuallyMoney.
I’ll bet he takes nine-tenths of his kale from women and children, and he’s an honored citizen.
1921, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Efficiency Expert, HTML edition, The Gutenberg Project, published 2012
Kale2
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn edible plant, similar to cabbage, with curled leaves that do not form a dense head (Brassica oleracea var. acephala)
More synonyms by meaning
nouninformal terms for money
nouna hardy cabbage with coarse curly leaves that do not form a head
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
kale · noun
- Latincaulis
- Old Englishcāl
- Northern Middle Englishcale
- Englishkale
From Northern Middle English cale, cal (Southern col), from Old English cāl, cāul, cāwel, from Latin caulis. Compare Icelandic kál (“cabbage”), German Kohl (“cabbage”). Doublet of caulis, cole, and gobi.
More words from Northern Middle English, Old English, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Kale · proper noun
- Ancient GreekΚαλή
- EnglishKale
From Ancient Greek Καλή (Kalḗ, literally “beauty”), see καλός (kalós, “beautiful”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans boerkool
- boerkooledible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Arabic كُرْنُب أَجْعَد
- كُرْنُب أَجْعَد (kurnub ʔajʕad)edible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Bulgarian къ́драво зе́ле
- къ́драво зе́ле (kắdravo zéle)edible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Catalan col arrissada
- col arrissadaedible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Chinese Mandarin 羽衣甘藍 /羽衣甘蓝
- 羽衣甘藍 /羽衣甘蓝 (yǔyī gānlán)edible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Czech kadeřávek
- kadeřávekedible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Danish grønkål
- grønkåledible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Dutch boerenkool
- boerenkooledible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Esperanto krispa brasiko
- krispa brasikoedible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Finnish lehtikaali
- lehtikaaliedible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
French chou frisé
- chou friséedible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
German Grünkohl, Federkohl
- Grünkohledible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
- Federkohledible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Greek λαχανίδα
- λαχανίδα (lachanída)edible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Hungarian kel, fodros kel
- keledible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
- fodros keledible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
- leveles keledible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Icelandic grænkál
- grænkáledible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Irish cál
- cáledible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Italian cavolo nero, cavolo riccio
- cavolo neroedible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
- cavolo riccioedible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Japanese ケール, 緑葉甘藍
- ケール (kēru)edible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
- 緑葉甘藍 (ryokuyō kanran)edible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
- 羽衣甘藍 (hagoromo kanran)edible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Latin crambe
- crambeedible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Norwegian grønnkål
- grønnkåledible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Persian کلم برگ
- کلم برگ (kalam barg)edible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Polish jarmuż
- jarmużedible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Portuguese couve-de-folhas
- couve-de-folhasedible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Romanian varză verde
- varză verdeedible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Russian кале́, листова́я капу́ста
- кале́ (kalé)edible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
- листова́я капу́ста (listovája kapústa)edible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
- грюнко́ль (grjunkólʹ)edible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
- браунко́ль (braunkólʹ)edible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Slovak kel
- keledible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Spanish col rizada, kale (keil)
- col rizadaedible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
- kale (keil)edible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
- repollo crespoedible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
- berza rizosaedible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Swedish grönkål
- grönkåledible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Turkish karalahana
- karalahanaedible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Ukrainian кейл
- кейл (kejl)edible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Vietnamese cải xoăn
- cải xoănedible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Welsh bresych deiliog, cêl
- bresych deiliogedible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
- cêledible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with kale
Anagrams
Cite this entry
kale. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kale
“kale.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kale. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kale,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kale.
Source: kale on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.