Kosher Means Fit, and It Applies to More Than Food
Kosher describes food prepared according to Jewish law. The Hebrew word means fit or proper, and English borrowed it for anything legitimate.
Kosher describes food that conforms to Jewish dietary law. The Hebrew *kasher* means fit or proper, and the term applies beyond food — a Torah scroll or a ritual object can be kosher or not. English borrowed it in the nineteenth century as a general word for legitimate or above board, which is now its commonest use outside Jewish contexts.
- Conforming to Jewish law. *Kosher meat.*
- Legitimate (informal). *The deal is kosher.*
- Kashrut — the body of dietary law. *The laws of kashrut.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective | kosher | Kosher food. |
| Noun | kashrut | Observing kashrut. |
| Related | halal | Halal meat. |
| Related | treif | Treif food. |
| Related | pareve | A pareve dessert. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The paperwork is not kosher.Informal: not legitimate.
- Meat and dairy are kept separate.A central rule.
- Pareve food is neither meat nor dairy.So it can be served with either.
Kosher rules in outline
- Permitted animals — those with cloven hooves that chew the cud
- Slaughter — must follow a specific ritual method
- Separation — meat and dairy not cooked or eaten together
- Seafood — only fish with fins and scales
- Pareve — neutral foods, such as vegetables and eggs
From Hebrew *kasher*, fit or proper. English took it through Yiddish in the nineteenth century.
Kosher or halal?
Both are religious dietary systems with overlapping rules, but they are distinct. Not all kosher food is halal, and the reverse.
What does pareve mean?
Neutral: food containing neither meat nor dairy, which may therefore be eaten with either.