Brassica oleracea

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. [1913 Webster]

2. The terminal bud of certain palm trees, used, like, cabbage, for food. See {Cabbage tree}, below. [1913 Webster]

3. The cabbage palmetto. See below. [1913 Webster]

{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 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.

{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}. [1913 Webster]