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
Gretchen McKay, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 2026
According to a district news release, Farmers Markets were set up on the school blacktops with tables of produce such as red apples, orange citrus, yellow squash, green broccoli and purple cabbage forming a rainbow of fruits and veggies.
—Del Mar Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
Broccoli, cauliflower, artichoke, endive, dandelion, cabbage, and chicory contain bitter compounds that stimulate bile production, which supports fat digestion, waste elimination, and hormonal balance—indirectly helping manage acid load.
—Mélanie Defouilloy, Vogue, 24 Feb. 2026
Ready Veggies are made with a medley of broccoli florets, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, kale, carrots, and snow pea pods, for a rainbow of color that can be thrown into any meal.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cabbage
Cite this Entry
“Cabbage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cabbage. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
Copy Citation
