a hardy cabbage with coarse curly leaves that do not form a head
<noun.plant>
coarse curly-leafed cabbage
<noun.food>
Kale \Kale\, n. [Scot. kale, kail, cale, colewort, Gael. cael; akin to Ir. cal, W. cawl, Armor. kaol. See {Cole}.] 1. (Bot.) A variety of cabbage in which the leaves do not form a head, being nearly the original or wild form of the species. [Written also {kail}, and {cale}.]
2. See {Kail}, 2.
{Sea kale} (Bot.), a European cruciferous herb ({Crambe maritima}), often used as a pot herb; sea cabbage.
Also outstanding nutritionally, kale yields tasty greens in the fall and winter.