What does cole mean?
Cole is a noun referring to any of various cultivated plants of the cabbage family, Brassica oleracea and its relatives. Far from being a single vegetable, the term gathers under one heading an astonishingly diverse group: cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and collard greens are all coles, each bred by humans over many centuries from the same wild seashore ancestor. In practice, cole appears mostly in agricultural and horticultural language — farmers speak of "cole crops" and rotate fields with them — while ordinary speakers tend to name the specific vegetable instead. The word derives from Middle English col(e), from Old English cawel, itself borrowed from Latin caulis, meaning stem or stalk, a root it shares with "cauliflower" and "kale." Though uncommon in casual conversation, cole remains useful precisely because it names a botanical family rather than one item on a dinner plate.
nounA plant of the cabbage family (Brassica), especially any of several cultivated varieties such as kale, broccoli, or cauliflower; also used collectively for such crops.
- Any cultivated plant of the cabbage family (Brassica oleracea and related species), including kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.
"The farmer rotated his fields between barley and cole to keep the soil healthy."
"The allotment was planted with rows of cole that stood sturdy through the frost."
"Agriculturalists classify cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts together as cole crops."
The plural is rare in practice; speakers more often use the collective singular ("cole") or name individual crops ("cabbages", "kales").
"The nursery stocked hardy coles suited to winter growing."
Every time you eat broccoli, cauliflower, or kale, you're eating cole — all of these vegetables were bred over centuries from a single wild cabbage ancestor.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cole
Cole comes from Middle English col(e), descended from Old English cawel, which was borrowed from Latin caulis, meaning "stalk" or "stem." The same Latin root produced the modern word "cauliflower," whose second element is a corrupted form of caulis, and via Old Norse it gave English "kale." German Kohl (as in kohlrabi) is a close cousin, making cole part of a small family of European words all pointing back to Rome's word for the stalky cabbage plant.
How cole is actually used
Cole is chiefly an agricultural and horticultural term rather than everyday kitchen vocabulary; gardeners and farmers say "cole crops" where cooks would simply name the specific vegetable. The word survives most visibly in British farming contexts and in North American agricultural usage.
Easily confused with cole
Coal is a black combustible mineral dug from the earth, while cole is a leafy vegetable of the cabbage family — they are pronounced identically.
Kale is one specific variety of cole, whereas cole is the broader term covering cabbage-family crops generally.