kimchi

noun

Etymology: Borrowed from Korean 김치 (gimchi), ultimately composed within Korea of Chinese-derived morphemes 沉 (MC drim, “submerged, soaked”) and 菜 (MC tshojH, “vegetable”), i.e. "fermented vegetable". Doublet of kimuchi.

1. A Korean dish made of vegetables, such as cabbage or radishes, that are salted, seasoned, and stored in sealed containers to undergo lactic acid fermentation.

   “"Yeah." He gestured to the kimchi. "Well, get it in ya, then." "It's better hot." she said.”

   “Despite the stew’s debt to kimchi, you know it has come into its own when it’s served with kimchi as a side dish.”

2. A Korean person.

   “How did I know the kimchis were trying to smuggle the crate out of Japan?”

   “In the United States, Germans are sometimes called "krauts" ... Koreans "kimchis," and poor white Southerners "crackers"...”