cholent

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Pronunciations

cholent (CHUH-lent) listen
cholent (CHOHW-lint) listen

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Definitions

  • n. A slow-cooked stew made of beef, beans, potatoes, and other vegetables that is eaten on Shabbat.

Example Sentences

  • "Daniel makes his cholent with potatoes and beans."

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Languages of Origin

  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • טשאָלנט tsholnt
    Originally from Old (Judeo-)French, chalent (warming), derived from Latin calentem, present participle of calere (be warm).

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education
      • Ashkenazim: Jews with Ashkenazi heritage

      Regions

      • North America
      • Australia / New Zealand
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

      Alternative Spellings

      tchulent, chulent, tsholent, cholnt, kholent, kholnt, chulnt

Notes

  • Jewish law traditionally forbids cooking on the Sabbath, so observant Jews often prepare a slow-cooking dish before the Sabbath to be ready for the Sabbath lunch to have hot food.

    See also hamin, skhina, and adafina.

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