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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."
Synonyms
Noun (1)
Examples of cabbage in a Sentence
Cynthia Sass, Mph, Rd, Health, 18 Nov. 2023
Today, supplemental phosphatidylserine is mostly derived from plant sources, such as soy and cabbage.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 17 Oct. 2023
The crunchy red cabbage feels grounding and bright while the dates and pistachios give the salad plenty of heft.
—Ben Mims, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023
Rapp’s bowl is made up of roasted tofu, cilantro, cucumbers, red onions, shredded cabbage, spicy broccoli and tomatoes on a spring mix bed and doused in Rapp’s favorite dressing.
—Sam Burros, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023
However, although those numbers are for food overall, the likelihood of a person getting addicted to cabbage is pretty low.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune Well, 26 Oct. 2023
Part of the Brassica oleracea plant species—along with similar greens like cabbage or spinach—braised collard greens are a classic side dish with recipes passed down through generations of Southern cooks.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2023
Main dishes in 1941 included hot dogs with Liberty cabbage – actually sauerkraut, but the name was changed during the war due to its German connection.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 16 Oct. 2023
Slice chicken 1/2 inch thick and arrange over cabbage.
—America's Test Kitchen, Chicago Tribune, 13 Sep. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cabbage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Noun (1)
Middle English caboche, from Middle French dialect (Norman & Picard), literally, head, noggin
Noun (2)
perhaps by folk etymology from Middle French cabas cheating, theft
Noun (1)
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun (2)
1663, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1691, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing cabbage
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Dictionary Entries Near cabbage
Cite this Entry
“Cabbage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cabbage. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
cabbage
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on cabbage
Nglish: Translation of cabbage for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of cabbage for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cabbage
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