WordGarden.iocole
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /kˈəʊl/
US
- /ˈkoʊl/
Meanings
Noun
a cabbage or closely related brassica grown as a crop or vegetable
Proper-noun
a surname or masculine given name
Beyond the definition
"Cole" isn't a word you hear every day, but in older and farming language it often means vegetables in the cabbage family, like kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi. Gardeners may also use "cole crops" for these plants. Historically, "cole" was used as a spelling for "coal," usually to describe a very dark, black color in older texts. So you might see phrases such as "red cole" for red cabbage in historical writing.
The word "cole" has a practical history in farm talk and older English. It is most often used for plants in the cabbage family, especially those in the Brassica group. This includes familiar vegetables like cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi. You may hear people say "cole crops" in gardening or agricultural writing to talk about this group in general.
Older writing also uses "cole" as an alternative spelling of "coal." In that sense, it can mean charcoal or anything very dark in color. It appears in compounds like "cole black" and in older poetry, but it is not common in modern English. The two meanings are unrelated in use: one is about vegetables, the other an older spelling for coal, even though they sound the same in print.
Even today, most readers meet "cole" only in older texts or farm discussions. If you see it now, remember it may mean a brassica vegetable, or in rarer cases, the old spelling of coal.
Examples
- 1
Vegetable family
The farm grows several cole crops, including cabbage and cauliflower.
- Phrasecole crops
vegetables in the cabbage family
- 2
Plant damage
Warm, wet weather can damage young cole plants.
- 3
Older usage
The old diary says they planted beans, onions, and cole behind the house.
- Usage
cole used alone is older-style usage
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- colenoun