Meanings
nouncabbage white (plural cabbage whites)
plural cabbage whites
- biologyAny of various largely white butterflies with dark markings in the family Pieridae, especially the species Pieris brassicae, Pieris canidia, and Pieris rapae.
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
The name refers to the fact that many butterflies of this genus favor cabbages (among other plants) as host plants for their eggs.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan blanqueta
- blanquetabutterfly of family Pieridae
Dutch koolwitje
- koolwitjebutterfly of family Pieridae
Finnish kaaliperhonen
- kaaliperhonenbutterfly of family Pieridae
Icelandic kálfiðrildi
- kálfiðrildibutterfly of family Pieridae
Māori pepe mā
- pepe mābutterfly of family Pieridae
Polish bielinek kapustnik, kapustnik
- bielinek kapustnikbutterfly of family Pieridae
- kapustnikbutterfly of family Pieridae
Russian капу́стница
- капу́стница (kapústnica)butterfly of family Pieridae
Cite this entry
APA
cabbage white. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cabbage%20white
MLA
“cabbage white.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cabbage%20white. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cabbage white,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cabbage%20white.
Source: cabbage white on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.