mashgiach

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew מַשְׁגִּיחַ.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /maʃˈɡɪəx/.

Noun

mashgiach (plural mashgiachs or mashgichim)

1. (Judaism) Somebody who supervises the kashrut status of food in a restaurant. [from 20th c.]
   • 2013, Thomas Pynchon, Bleeding Edge, Vintage, published 2014, page 24:

     Kashruth fraud in Brooklyn. Seems a goon squad of fake mashgichim or kosher supervisors have been making their way around the neighborhoods pulling surprise ‘inspections’ on different shops and restaurants, selling them fancy-looking certificates to put in the window […]