cabbage 1
— cabbagelike , adj.
/kab"ij/ , n.
1. any of several cultivated varieties of a plant, Brassica oleracea capitata, of the mustard family, having a short stem and leaves formed into a compact, edible head.
2. the head or leaves of this plant, eaten cooked or raw.
3. Slang. money, esp. paper money.
4. Chiefly Brit. Informal.
a. a stupid, dull, or spiritless person.
b. a mentally impaired person who is unable to live independently; vegetable.
[ 1350-1400; ME caboche, caboge, cabage head of cabbage ca- formative in expressive words, of uncert. orig. + boche; see BOSS 2 , BOTCH 2 ]
cabbage 2
/kab"ij/ , n. , v. , cabbaged, cabbaging .
n.
1. Chiefly Brit.
a. cloth scraps that remain after a garment has been cut from a fabric and that by custom the tailor may claim.
b. Also called cab . such scraps used for reprocessing.
v.t. , v.i.
2. to steal; pilfer: He cabbaged whole yards of cloth.
[ 1615-25; earlier carbage shred, piece of cloth, appar. var. of GARBAGE wheat straw chopped small (obs. sense) ]