kiam chye

noun

Salted vegetables.

OriginHokkien 鹹菜 /咸菜 →
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Meanings

nounkiam chye (uncountable)

alternative kiamchay · alternative kiam-chay · alternative kiam chai

  1. SingaporeuncountableSalted vegetables.
  2. SinglishfigurativelyuncountableVery crumpled items (eg. paper, clothes).

Origin

  1. Hokkien鹹菜 /咸菜
  2. Englishkiam chye

From Hokkien 鹹菜 /咸菜 (kiâm-chhài).

More words from Hokkien

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

kiam chye. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kiam%20chye

MLA

“kiam chye.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kiam%20chye. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kiam chye,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kiam%20chye.

Source: kiam chye on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.