Cabbage Meaning
/ˈkæbɪd͡ʒ/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAn edible plant (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) having a head of green leaves.
nounAn edible plant (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) having a head of green leaves., Any of various cultivars of the species Brassica oleracea.
Sentence Examples
Can I have seconds on rice and cabbage?
The price of cabbage fell because of overproduction.
CEFR Practice Quiz
She chopped the green ____ to make coleslaw for the picnic.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She added some sliced green ____ to the salad for extra crunch today.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Old French caboce Anglo-Norman cabochebor. Middle English caboche English cabbage From Middle English caboche, cabage (“cabbage”; “a certain fish”), a borrowing from Anglo-Norman caboche (“head”), a northern variant of caboce, of uncertain origin. Some authorities derive it from Latin caput (“head”), others from ca- (said to be an expressive prefix) + boce (“hump; bump”) (whence English boss).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"In aphrodisiac preparation, wild cabbage was frequently an ingredient."
— 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 53:
"If you deceive me, Yasha, I don't know if my nerves could stand it. YASHA (kissing her) My little cabbage! Of course, a girl must know her place."
— 2009, Tom Stoppard, Helen Rappaport, The Cherry Orchard, translation of Вишнëвый сад ("Vishniovy sad") by Anton Chekhov, published 1904, page 31:
"American made choppas / You beefin', we split ya cabbage"
— 2024, “Cult Status”, performed by JPEGMAFIA:
"How effective the project was is a moot point, because there were never any studies carried out to see whether children benefited from cabbaging in front of the TV rather than interacting with a teacher."
— 2006, Steve Mckevitt, Why the World Is Full of Useless Things, page 38:
"[Y]our Butler purloins your Liquor, and your Brevver ſells your Hogvvaſh; […] your Taylor, inſtead of Shreds, cabages vvhole Yards of Cloth; […]"
— 1733, Humphry Polesworth [pseudonym; John Arbuthnot], Alexander Pope, compiler, “Law is a Bottomless Pit. Or, The History of John Bull. […]. [The First Part.] Chapter X. Of John Bull’s Second Wife, and the Good Advice that She Gave Him.”, in Miscellanies, 2nd edition, volume II, London: […] Benjamin Motte, […], →OCLC, page 30:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
She chopped the green ____ to make coleslaw for the picnic.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She added some sliced green ____ to the salad for extra crunch today.