Cabbagehead
/ˈkæb.ɪdʒ.hed/noun
A derogatory term for a foolish person.
Did you know?In 19th-century slang, 'cabbagehead' implied not just foolishness, but also a connection to the idea of being unthinking or vegetative, as if one were merely a plant!
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kap-
“to seize, take hold of.”
Latin
Latin
cappa
“a hood or cloak.”
Old French
Old French
cobage
“a head or top of a plant.”
Middle English
Middle English
cabage
“a vegetable, specifically a head of cabbage.”
19th Century
English
cabbagehead
“a term describing a person perceived as foolish, likened to a vegetable.”