What does cabbage mean?
Cabbage is a hardy cultivated vegetable of the mustard family, grown worldwide for its dense head of broad, layered leaves. A staple of European cooking for centuries, it is eaten raw in slaws and salads, fermented into sauerkraut and kimchi, or braised, boiled, and stuffed in countless regional dishes. The noun also carries informal senses: in older American slang, 'a cabbage' can mean money, and the word is sometimes used — offensively — to describe someone perceived as mentally inert. The word entered English from Old North French 'caboche,' meaning 'head,' a fitting name for a plant defined by its rounded head of leaves. Its relatives include kale, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and Brussels sprouts, all bred from the same wild ancestor, Brassica oleracea. Few words so neatly link botany, cuisine, slang, and history in a single everyday term.
A cultivated plant of the mustard family with a short stem and a dense globular head of edible leaves.
"He planted a row of cabbages behind the shed."
Plural is 'cabbages'; used both as the plant and as food.
(Informal, chiefly American slang) Money or banknotes.
"That vintage guitar set him back a lot of cabbage."
Colloquial and dated; not appropriate in formal writing.
(Informal, often considered offensive) A person regarded as lacking energy, alertness, or intelligence.
"After the sedatives, he lay like a cabbage for days."
Widely regarded as demeaning; avoid in polite usage.
Standard regular plural; used when referring to multiple heads or plants of the vegetable.
"The market stalls were piled high with fresh cabbages."
The word 'cabbage' comes from the same French root as 'caboose' — but only one of them belongs in your soup.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cabbage
The English word cabbage derives from Middle French 'caboche', meaning 'head', itself from a Latinized form related to 'caput' ('head'). It was borrowed into English in the mid-15th century via Anglo-Norman, replacing earlier terms such as 'cole' and 'cawel'. The same Latin root gives us cognates like 'cape' and 'capital', and the botanical family name Brassica covers its many cultivated relatives.
Related word forms
How cabbage is actually used
The vegetable sense is neutral and common worldwide. The slang senses are informal and largely colloquial; the 'money' sense appears mainly in older American slang, while the derogatory 'mentally dull' sense is considered offensive and should be avoided.
Easily confused with cabbage
Cabbage has dense, tightly packed leaves and a stronger flavor when cooked, while lettuce has loose, tender leaves and is almost always served raw.