\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.
2. The terminal bud of certain palm trees, used, like,
   cabbage, for food. See {Cabbage tree}, below.
3. The cabbage palmetto. See below.
{Cabbage aphis} (Zo["o]l.), a green plant-louse ({Aphis
   brassic[ae]}) which lives upon the leaves of the cabbage.
{Cabbage beetle} (Zo["o]l.), 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 butterfly} (Zo["o]l.), a white butterfly ({Pieris
   rap[ae]} of both Europe and America, and the allied {P.
   oleracea}, a native American species) which, in the larval
   state, devours the leaves of the cabbage and the turnip.
   See {Cabbage worm}, below.
{Cabbage fly} (Zo["o]l.), 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.
{Cabbage worm} (Zo["o]l.), the larva of several species of
   moths and butterflies, which attacks cabbages. The most
   common is usually the larva of a white butterfly. See
   {Cabbage butterfly}, above. The cabbage cutworms, which
   eat off the stalks of young plants during the night, are
   the larv[ae] of several species of moths, of the genus
   {Agrotis}. See {Cutworm}.
{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}.

\Cab"bage\, v. i.
To form a head like that the cabbage; as, to make lettuce
cabbage. --Johnson.

\Cab"bage\, v. i. [imp. & p. p {Cabbaged} (-b[asl]jd);
p. pr. & vb. n. {Cabbaging} (-b[asl]*j[i^]ng).] [F. cabasser,
fr. OF. cabas theft; cf. F. cabas basket, and OF. cabuser to
cheat.]
To purloin or embezzle, as the pieces of cloth remaining
after cutting out a garment; to pilfer.
      Your tailor . . . cabbages whole yards of cloth.
                                               --Arbuthnot.

\Cab"bage\, n.
Cloth or clippings cabbaged or purloined by one who cuts out
garments.