cabbage

1 of 3

noun (1)

cab·​bage ˈka-bij How to pronounce cabbage (audio)
often attributive
1
a
: any of several brassicas (Brassica oleracea) of European origin
especially : a leafy garden plant (Brassica oleracea capitata) with a short stem and a dense globular head of usually green leaves that is used as a vegetable
b
: any of several plants related to or resembling cabbage
2
slang : money, cash
cabbagey adjective
or less commonly cabbagy

cabbage

2 of 3

noun (2)

: pieces of cloth left in cutting out garments and traditionally kept by tailors as perquisites

cabbage

3 of 3

verb

cabbaged; cabbaging

transitive verb

: steal, filch
They also cabbaged our bats, balls, and gloves.H. L. Mencken

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

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Irish music, corned beef & cabbage, fish & chips, Guinness and Smithwicks. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 13 Mar. 2024 The Santa Monica Mountains provided a striking backdrop to tables heaped with cabbages and carrots and vibrant purple radishes at the Topanga Farmers Market, a weekly event that just made its first appearance under new direction and since closing down in 2018. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 One more thing: St. Patrick’s Day festivities include green beer, corned beef and cabbage, a visit from the Cousins Maine Lobster food truck — not Irish, but delicious — and tunes by Salvage Title. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 When selecting collard greens for a salad, or to stuff and roll with a filling in place of cabbage, select bunches that are small to medium in size. Adrienne Cheatham, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 Choices include baked fish cakes, corned beef and cabbage, lamb and dumpling stew, and shepherd’s pie. Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 1 Mar. 2024 Place cabbage, carrots, onion, and potatoes in the slow cooker. Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Feb. 2024 But some—like this Napa cabbage kimchi—work best with a specific variety. Zoe Denenberg, Bon Appétit, 15 Feb. 2024 The star is an entire (small) head of cabbage — one of my favorite vegetables. Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024

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

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of cabbage was in the 15th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near cabbage

Cite this Entry

“Cabbage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cabbage. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cabbage

noun
cab·​bage
ˈkab-ij
: a garden plant related to the turnips and mustards that has a round firm head of leaves used as a vegetable

More from Merriam-Webster on cabbage

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!