What does cabbageworm mean?
A cabbageworm is the caterpillar stage of a cabbage butterfly, particularly the cabbage white, Pieris rapae. These larvae feed voraciously on cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and other brassica crops, often leaving irregular holes or skeletonized leaves behind. Although called a worm, a cabbageworm is an insect larva rather than a true worm. Gardeners and farmers commonly use the term when describing infestations, crop damage, or the need to remove caterpillars from plants. In North American usage, “imported cabbageworm” is the specific common name for the larva of Pieris rapae, while “cabbageworm” may be used more generally for similar cabbage-feeding caterpillars. The word combines the crop with the familiar name for a caterpillar-like larva. It remains useful because it identifies a recognizable type of garden pest without requiring the more specialized scientific description of its species and life stage.
nounThe caterpillar, or larval stage, of a cabbage butterfly, especially the cabbage white (Pieris rapae), whose larvae feed on cabbage and related crops. The term may also refer more broadly to caterpillars that damage brassica plants.
- A caterpillar of a cabbage butterfly, especially the cabbage white (Pieris rapae), that feeds on cabbage and related plants.
"The gardener picked the cabbageworms from the leaves of the young cabbages."
"A single cabbageworm can chew holes through several leaves in a young cabbage plant."
"The extension bulletin advised gardeners to inspect their brassicas for imported cabbageworms."
The standard plural is formed by adding -s.
"Several cabbageworms were feeding on the kale."
The “worm” in cabbageworm is not a worm at all—it is a hungry butterfly caterpillar with a remarkable talent for disappearing among the leaves of its food plant.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does cabbageworm come from?
“Cabbageworm” is an English compound formed from “cabbage” and “worm,” with the latter referring to the caterpillar-like larvae familiar to gardeners. The elements have different immediate histories: “cabbage” came into English through French from a Romance word associated with a cabbage's head, while “worm” is inherited from Old English wyrm. The compound developed within English agricultural and gardening vocabulary and does not have a direct equivalent in any other language.
Related word forms
How cabbageworm is actually used
This is primarily a gardening and agricultural term. It is especially associated with the imported cabbageworm, the North American name for the larva of Pieris rapae, although some speakers use it more broadly for any caterpillar attacking cabbage.
Easily confused with cabbageworm
A cabbageworm is a caterpillar of a cabbage butterfly, whereas a cabbage looper is the caterpillar of a different moth and moves with a characteristic looping gait.