cabbage

IPA/ˈkæbɪdʒ/
KK[kˈæbədʒ]IPA/ˈkæbɪdʒ/

cabbage — noun

  • cabbagesingular
  • cabbagesplural

1. a plant with broad layers of pale-green or purple leaves packed tightly into a r

1.nounB1
Definition

a plant with broad layers of pale-green or purple leaves packed tightly into a round ball, used in salads, soups, stir-fries, and other cooked dishes

Example

Maeve chopped the green cabbage into thin strips for the coleslaw.

countable as a whole head

Apinya's grandmother fermented cabbage with salt and chili to make kimchi.

cabbage + ferment for traditional dishes

Common collocations
  • green cabbage
  • white cabbage
  • red cabbage
  • shredded cabbage
  • stuffed cabbage
  • boiled cabbage
  • fermented cabbage
Synonyms
  • kale

    a close relative of cabbage with curly, darker leaves, usually not forming a tight round head

  • Brussels sprout

    a small, bud-like vegetable from the same plant family, often eaten whole

Usage Note

Cabbage can be countable (a whole head) or uncountable (the vegetable as a food ingredient): I bought two cabbages but I only used a little cabbage for the salad.

Common Mistakes

I bought a lettuce from the farmer.' (when you mean a round leafy vegetable).
I bought a cabbage from the farmer.
Lettuce and cabbage are different: cabbage has firmer, thicker leaves.

2. a deeply insulting term for someone whose brain has been so badly damaged by a s

2.noun
Definition

a deeply insulting term for someone whose brain has been so badly damaged by a severe injury or disease that they cannot think, speak, or move on their own — never use this word

Example

Walid heard a teenager yell that horrible cabbage insult at a man on the bus.

context showing real-world usage as an insult

The campaign group asked the newspaper never to use cabbage to describe brain-injured patients.

Usage Note

⚠️ EXTREMELY OFFENSIVE — Never use this sense. It is a cruel dehumanising slur against people with severe brain injuries or disabilities. The medical term is 'person in a persistent vegetative state' or simply 'person with a severe brain injury.' Using 'cabbage' for a person is deeply insulting and widely condemned by disability advocacy groups.

Common Mistakes

After the accident he became a cabbage.
After the accident he sustained a severe brain injury.
Never refer to a person as 'a cabbage'; use respectful, medically accurate language.

3. an informal old-fashioned word for money, especially cash that you have in your

3.noun
Definition

an informal old-fashioned word for money, especially cash that you have in your pocket or wallet

Example

Joaquín had saved enough cabbage over the summer to buy a second-hand scooter.

saved + cabbage = accumulated cash over time

Eli asked his brother for some cabbage to pay for the cinema tickets.

Common collocations
  • enough cabbage
  • some cabbage
  • a lot of cabbage
  • save cabbage
  • need cabbage
Synonyms
  • cash

    neutral, standard term for physical money; no slang feel

  • dough

    equally informal slang for money, still in use

  • loot

    informal slang for money, especially large amounts or ill-gotten gains

Usage Note

This sense is dated and largely confined to British slang from the early-to-mid 20th century. Modern younger speakers rarely use it. Compare with 'dough,' 'bread,' or 'loot' for other informal money terms.

cabbage — verb

Word family

  • cabbagey
    adjective

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Cabbage, lettuce, and kale are all leafy greens, but they differ in texture, taste, and use. Cabbage has thick, crunchy leaves that form a dense round head and is eaten cooked (stir-fried, boiled, stuffed) or raw in coleslaw. Lettuce has soft, fragile leaves that are almost always eaten raw in salads — it wilts if cooked. Kale, a close relative of cabbage, has curly, tough leaves that are usually sautéed, baked into chips, or blended into smoothies rather than eaten raw in large quantities. Coleslaw is not a vegetable but a dish made from shredded cabbage mixed with dressing. Example: "If you want crunchy strips in a stir-fry, use cabbage; for a soft salad base, use lettuce; for green smoothies, throw in kale."

cabbage ↗lettuce ↗kale ↗coleslaw ↗

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'cabbage' entered Middle English as 'caboche' from Old French, meaning 'head' — because the round vegetable looks like a human head. It traces further back to Latin 'caput', meaning 'head'. The slang sense for 'money' likely came from the green colour of paper money resembling cabbage leaves. The verb sense 'to steal' probably grew out of the 17th-century tailoring term where tailors kept leftover fabric scraps ('cabbage') as a hidden bonus.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Noun (2)