cabbage

¹ American  

[kab-ij] / ˈkæb ɪdʒ /

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.

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cabbage ² American  

[kab-ij] / ˈkæb ɪdʒ /

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.

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verb (used with or without object)

cabbaged, cabbaging

1. to steal; pilfer.

   He cabbaged whole yards of cloth.

cabbage ¹ British  

/ ˈkæbɪdʒ /

noun

1. Also called: cole.  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. 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

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cabbage ² British  

/ ˈkæbɪdʒ /

noun

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

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verb

1. to steal; pilfer

Other Word Forms

• cabbagelike
  adjective

Etymology

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; see 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)

Explanation

Cabbage is a vegetable with thick, lettuce-like leaves. You can grow both green and purple cabbage in your garden. You might shred some cabbage, mix it with chopped carrots and mayonnaise, and make coleslaw. Sauerkraut is another popular side dish made with cabbage. The cabbage plant is a close relation to broccoli and cauliflower, and has other plant relatives that are purely ornamental. In the 15th century, it was caboge, from the Middle French word caboche, or "head," ultimately from the Latin root caput, also "head."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cabbage cabbaged cabbaging

In 1982, Il Yeon Kwon, a Korean immigrant, realized that New Yorkers needed a reliable source for napa cabbage, the essential ingredient in kimchi, and opened a small grocery store in Queens.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

Much of the menu is prepared over a live hearth, and traditional Polish dishes sit alongside inventive creations like duck confit cabbage rolls and pork belly pączki.

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026

On a recent morning, Nones took photos for a cookbook, shooting portraits of residents who submitted recipes for Romanian stuffed cabbage and gumbo, coaching them from his chair.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026

"Genetic diversity is a resource for us too as humans, especially the wild relatives of crops. We've got quite a few in Wales, like sea radish, sea carrot, sea cabbage," said Kevin.

From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026

We planted a garden, so we had fresh vegetables to eat, including cabbage, something I had never eaten before.

From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau

But, worse . . . state and city officials have cabbaged on to this beautiful protective machinery we have placed in their hands.

From Time Magazine Archive

They run out of all they cabbaged here perty quick.

From Summerfield or, Life on a Farm by Day Kellogg Lee

She got a quart, and I cabbaged half for my tea-party.'

From In the Roaring Fifties by Edward Dyson

Bacon treats of the instrument in his “Novum Organum;” from which Newton cabbaged his ideas in his “Principia,” in the most unprincipled manner.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 1, August 14, 1841 by Various

"Who's the nervy party with the chin whiskers that's cabbaged Hinpoha?" asked the Captain of Sahwah, scowling crossly after the leading boat, which was already drawing away from the rest of the party.

From The Camp Fire Girls Do Their Bit Or, over the Top with the Winnebagos by Hildegard G. (Hildegard Gertrude) Frey

Does not this look very much like what we call "cabbaging?"

From Notes and Queries, Number 24, April 13, 1850 by Various

The next step I took was to order William Francis, John Thompson, Samuel Picket, and Joshua Peck to be taken into custody, on their return from cabbaging.

From An Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island by John Hunter

And what a touching sight it is of a Saturday afternoon to see the poor, careworn clergymen gathered together in that vast reading—room cabbaging sermons for Sunday.

From Mark Twain's Speeches by Mark Twain

Related Words

• sauerkraut