Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Cabbage?

\Cab"bage\ (k[a^]b"b[asl]j), n. [OE. cabage, fr. F. cabus headed (of cabbages), chou cabus headed cabbage, cabbage head; cf. It. capuccio a little head, cappuccio cowl, hood, cabbage, fr. capo head, L. caput, or fr. It. cappa cape. See {Chief}, {Cape}.] (Bot.) 1. An esculent vegetable of many varieties, derived from the wild {Brassica oleracea} of Europe. The common cabbage has a compact head of leaves. The cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, etc., are sometimes classed as cabbages. 2. The terminal bud of certain palm trees, used, like, cabbage, for food. See {Cabbage tree}, below. 3. The cabbage palmetto. See below. {Cabbage aphis} (Zo["o]l.), a green plant-louse ({Aphis brassic[ae]}) which lives upon the leaves of the cabbage. {Cabbage beetle} (Zo["o]l.), a small, striped flea-beetle ({Phyllotreta vittata}) which lives, in the larval state, on the roots, and when adult, on the leaves, of cabbage and other cruciferous plants. {Cabbage butterfly} (Zo["o]l.), a white butterfly ({Pieris rap[ae]} of both Europe and America, and the allied {P. oleracea}, a native American species) which, in the larval state, devours the leaves of the cabbage and the turnip. See {Cabbage worm}, below. {Cabbage fly} (Zo["o]l.), a small two-winged fly ({Anthomyia brassic[ae]}), which feeds, in the larval or maggot state, on the roots of the cabbage, often doing much damage to the crop. {Cabbage head}, the compact head formed by the leaves of a cabbage; -- contemptuously or humorously, and colloquially, a very stupid and silly person; a numskull. {Cabbage palmetto}, a species of palm tree ({Sabal Palmetto}) found along the coast from North Carolina to Florida. {Cabbage rose} (Bot.), a species of rose ({Rosa centifolia}) having large and heavy blossoms. {Cabbage tree}, {Cabbage palm}, a name given to palms having a terminal bud called a cabbage, as the {Sabal Palmetto} of the United States, and the {Euterpe oleracea} and {Oreodoxa oleracea} of the West Indies. {Cabbage worm} (Zo["o]l.), the larva of several species of moths and butterflies, which attacks cabbages. The most common is usually the larva of a white butterfly. See {Cabbage butterfly}, above. The cabbage cutworms, which eat off the stalks of young plants during the night, are the larv[ae] of several species of moths, of the genus {Agrotis}. See {Cutworm}. {Sea cabbage}.(Bot.) (a) Sea kale (b) . The original Plant ({Brassica oleracea}), from which the cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, etc., have been derived by cultivation. {Thousand-headed cabbage}. See {Brussels sprouts}.
\Cab"bage\, v. i. To form a head like that the cabbage; as, to make lettuce cabbage. --Johnson.
\Cab"bage\, v. i. [imp. & p. p {Cabbaged} (-b[asl]jd); p. pr. & vb. n. {Cabbaging} (-b[asl]*j[i^]ng).] [F. cabasser, fr. OF. cabas theft; cf. F. cabas basket, and OF. cabuser to cheat.] To purloin or embezzle, as the pieces of cloth remaining after cutting out a garment; to pilfer. Your tailor . . . cabbages whole yards of cloth. --Arbuthnot.
\Cab"bage\, n. Cloth or clippings cabbaged or purloined by one who cuts out garments.