Cabbage head

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.
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   2. The terminal bud of certain palm trees, used, like,
      cabbage, for food. See {Cabbage tree}, below.
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   3. The cabbage palmetto. See below.
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   {Cabbage aphis} (Zool.), a green plant-louse ({Aphis
      brassic[ae]}) which lives upon the leaves of the cabbage.
      

   {Cabbage beetle} (Zool.), 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 fly} (Zool.), 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.

   {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}.
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