cabbage

¹

[ kab-ij ]

noun

1. any of several cultivated varieties of a plant, Brassica oleracea capitata, of the mustard family, having a short stem and leaves formed into a compact, edible head.
2. the head or leaves of this plant, eaten cooked or raw.
3. Slang. money, especially paper money.
4. Chiefly British Informal.
   1. a stupid, dull, or spiritless person.
   2. a mentally impaired person who is unable to live independently; vegetable.

cabbage

²

[ kab-ij ]

noun

1. Chiefly British.
   1. cloth scraps that remain after a garment has been cut from a fabric and that by custom the tailor may claim.
   2. Also called cab. such scraps used for reprocessing.

verb (used with or without object)

, cab·baged, cab·bag·ing.

1. to steal; pilfer:

   He cabbaged whole yards of cloth.

cabbage

¹

/ ˈkæbɪdʒ /

noun

1. Also calledcole any of various cultivated varieties of the plant Brassica oleracea capitata, typically having a short thick stalk and a large head of green or reddish edible leaves: family Brassicaceae (crucifers) See also brassica savoy Compare skunk cabbage Chinese cabbage
2. wild cabbage
   a European plant, Brassica oleracea, with broad leaves and a long spike of yellow flowers: the plant from which the cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprout have been bred
3. 1. the head of a cabbage
   2. the edible leaf bud of the cabbage palm
4. informal.
   a dull or unimaginative person
5. informal.
   a person who has no mental faculties and is dependent on others for his or her subsistence

cabbage

²

/ ˈkæbɪdʒ /

noun

1. snippets of cloth appropriated by a tailor from a customer's material

verb

1. to steal; pilfer

Other Words From

• cabbage·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cabbage¹

1350–1400; Middle English caboche, caboge, cabage head of cabbage < dialectal Old French (Picardy, Normandy) literally, head, noggin, equivalent to ca- formative in expressive words, of uncertain origin + boche; boss ², botch ²

Origin of cabbage²

1615–25; earlier carbage shred, piece of cloth, apparently variant of garbage wheat straw chopped small (obsolete sense)

Word History and Origins

Origin of cabbage¹

C14: from Norman French caboche head; perhaps related to Old French boce hump, bump, Latin caput head

Origin of cabbage²

C17: of uncertain origin; perhaps related to Old French cabas theft

Example Sentences

The Swedish checklist recommends potatoes, cabbage, carrots and eggs along with tins of bolognese sauce and prepared blueberry and rosehip soup.

From BBC

As she sings of her foil, in my favorite line of the song, “She peels me back like I’m her cabbage.”

From New York Times

Opening bags and scattering contents on the ground, Dave said the hungry hens have their favourites - grapes and cabbage - "but they'll have a go at eating anything"

From BBC

Sharry White, who owns a local restaurant called Granny Jacks that serves cabbage rolls — an old coal miner favorite — is also voting for Trump.

From Los Angeles Times

“To me, it smells like a really bad trash can with heavy cabbage smells,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• sauerkraut