vegetable

American  

[vej-tuh-buhl, vej-i-tuh-] / ˈvɛdʒ tə bəl, ˈvɛdʒ ɪ tə- /

noun

1. any plant whose fruit, seeds, roots, tubers, bulbs, stems, leaves, or flower parts are used as food, as the tomato, bean, beet, potato, onion, asparagus, spinach, or cauliflower.

2. the edible part of such a plant, as the tuber of the potato.

3. any member of the plant kingdom; plant.

4. Informal. a person who is so severely impaired mentally or physically as to be largely incapable of conscious responses or activity.

5. a dull, spiritless, and uninteresting person.

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adjective

1. of, consisting of, or made from edible vegetables.

   a vegetable diet.

2. of, relating to, or characteristic of plants.

   the vegetable kingdom.

3. derived from plants.

   vegetable fiber; vegetable oils.

4. consisting of, comprising, or containing the substance or remains of plants.

   vegetable matter; a vegetable organism.

5. of the nature of or resembling a plant.

   the vegetable forms of Art Nouveau ornament.

6. inactive; inert; dull; uneventful.

   a vegetable existence.

vegetable British  

/ ˈvɛdʒtəbəl /

noun

1. any of various herbaceous plants having parts that are used as food, such as peas, beans, cabbage, potatoes, cauliflower, and onions

2. informal a person who has lost control of his mental faculties, limbs, etc, as from an injury, mental disease, etc

3. 1. a dull inactive person

   2. ( as modifier )

      a vegetable life

4. (modifier) consisting of or made from edible vegetables

   a vegetable diet

5. (modifier) of, relating to, characteristic of, derived from, or consisting of plants or plant material

   vegetable oils

6. rare any member of the plant kingdom

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vegetable Scientific  

/ vĕj′tə-bəl /

1. A plant that is cultivated for an edible part, such as the leaf of spinach, the root of the carrot, or the stem of celery.

2. An edible part of one of these plants.

3. See Note at fruit

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Other Word Forms

• nonvegetable noun

Etymology

Origin of vegetable

1350–1400; Middle English (adjective) < Late Latin vegetābilis “able to live and grow,” equivalent to vegetā(re) “to quicken” ( vegetate ) + -bilis -ble

Example Sentences

Every few seasons or so, a commonplace produce item, be it a fruit or vegetable, is granted “It Girl” status.

From Salon

Key Brazilian exports to India include sugar, crude oil, vegetable oils, cotton and iron ore.

From Barron's

White wine is added to the clams and the medley of cooked vegetables before the cream is poured in.

From Salon

We bargain with them to eat a bite or two of vegetables before allowing them second helpings of the starchy things they really want.

From The Wall Street Journal

Soaring prices have hit people's pockets as they reduce their purchases of fruit and vegetables at Khartoum's central market.

From Barron's

Related Words

• herb
• legume
• produce
• salad