kosher

Everyday

1. (Judaism) Kosher food is food that is allowed by Jewish law, prepared in the right way; for example, meat and milk are not eaten together, and pork is not eaten. tree →
2. A kosher shop, kitchen or restaurant sells or makes kosher food. tree →
3. (informal) Genuine, honest or acceptable: «Is this deal kosher?». tree →

In the lessons

In religious education pupils learn the Jewish food laws (kashrut) from the Torah. Many supermarkets have kosher sections. In informal speech, «not kosher» means suspicious or not allowed. Phrases: «kosher food», «keep kosher», «a kosher kitchen», «not quite kosher».

Examples

• Many Jewish families keep kosher. tree →
• A kosher kitchen has separate dishes for meat and milk. tree →
• Pork is not kosher. tree →
• The school canteen offers kosher meals. tree →
• We bought kosher bread at the Jewish bakery. tree →
• Something about the email didn't seem kosher, so we deleted it. (informal) tree →
• Fish with fins and scales are kosher. tree →

Note

Adjective (also used as a verb in kitchens, «to kosher a pot», rare). Similar idea in Islam: halal; kosher and halal rules are alike in some ways and different in others. The informal sense is common in British and American speech.