coleslaw

noun

cole·​slaw ˈkōl-ˌslȯ 

variants or less commonly cole slaw

plural coleslaws also cole slaws

: a salad made of raw sliced or chopped cabbage and often additional ingredients (such as shredded carrots or raisins) tossed in a usually creamy dressing

called also slaw

Examples of coleslaw in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The chicken sandwich is served with coleslaw, pickles and a house sauce on a brioche bun. —Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2025

In fact, there isn't a single Chick-fil-A social media post that doesn't have at least one comment demanding the return of the old-school coleslaw. —Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 26 Mar. 2025

Our fish fry, a small pile of super-crisp panfish atop a generous portion of steak fries and served with a pile of coleslaw and some homemade tartar sauce, was worth every second of the wait. —Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 27 Mar. 2025

The Yankee Tavern: Two pieces of cod, fries and coleslaw. —Nick Halter, Axios, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Dutch koolsla, from kool cabbage + sla salad

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for coleslaw

• allantois
• baccarat
• chickasaw
• mackinaw
• overawe
• oversaw
• quebecois
• yojana
• aa
• aha
• bashaw
• bradshaw

Kids Definition

coleslaw

noun

cole·​slaw ˈkōl-ˌslȯ 

: a salad made of sliced or chopped raw cabbage