from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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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