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noun Uncommon

napa

NA-puh

Napa (noun) means a variety of Chinese cabbage with a mild flavor and pale, tightly packed leaves, common in East Asian cooking. Example: “She chopped napa cabbage into the kimchi mixture.”

noun
1
A variety of Chinese cabbage with a mild flavor and pale, tightly packed leaves, common in East Asian cooking.
"She chopped napa cabbage into the kimchi mixture."
2
A soft, lightweight leather, often used for gloves, jackets, and upholstery.
"The car's seats were upholstered in smooth napa leather."

How to use napa

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishUsually refers either to a mild Chinese cabbage or to a soft type of leather.

Easily confused with
nappa

Word forms

napas plural, napas plural

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Test yourself on “napa” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

She chopped _____ cabbage into the kimchi mixture.

Etymology

From the Japanese term 菜っ葉 (nappa), meaning "leafy greens."

Origin: Japanese

pe-tsai celery cabbage

Rhymes for napa

See all rhymes for napa →

Frequently asked questions

What does “napa” mean?

The word “napa” means a variety of Chinese cabbage with a mild flavor and pale, tightly packed leaves, common in East Asian cooking. In plain terms, usually refers either to a mild Chinese cabbage or to a soft type of leather.

How do you pronounce “napa”?

“Napa” is pronounced NA-puh (/ˈnæpə/ in IPA).

How do you use “napa” in a sentence?

Here is “napa” used in a sentence: “She chopped napa cabbage into the kimchi mixture.”

What part of speech is “napa”?

“Napa” is a noun.

Where does the word “napa” come from?

The word “napa” comes from Japanese. From the Japanese term 菜っ葉 (nappa), meaning "leafy greens.".

Is “napa” a common word?

“Napa” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “napa” have?

“Napa” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a variety of Chinese cabbage with a mild flavor and pale, tightly packed leaves, common in East Asian cooking.

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