Did you know?
Cabbage, Not the Vegetable
Does the "filching" meaning of cabbage bring to mind an image of thieves sneaking out of farm fields with armloads of pilfered produce? If so, you're in for a surprise. This use has nothing to do with the leafy vegetable. It originally referred to the practice among tailors of pocketing part of the cloth given to them to make garments. The verb was cut from the same cloth as an older British noun cabbage, which meant "pieces of cloth left in cutting out garments and traditionally kept by tailors as perquisites." Both of those ethically questionable cabbages probably derived from cabas, the Middle French word for "cheating or theft." The cabbage found in coleslaw, on the other hand, comes from Middle English caboche, which meant "head."
Examples of cabbage in a Sentence
Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 5 Dec. 2025
But its serving, along with Holubtsi, traditional meat and cabbage rolls, was seen as a welcome nod to Ukrainian culture – a deft diplomatic gesture as the US tries to coax Ukraine towards compromising on a peace deal with Russia.
—Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 1 Dec. 2025
Check out the popular vegan Claro Cauli shareable ($8) with charred florets, a black walnut romesco and golden raisin crunch; and the Roasted Beet & Hummus Bowl ($18) with lacinato kale, red cabbage, cucumber and more.
—Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
Among the crowd, some were greeting old friends as others were making new ones—all while savoring gumbo, cabbage, and cornbread.
—Jessica B. Harris, Southern Living, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cabbage
Cite this Entry
“Cabbage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cabbage. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share