vegetarian

[vej-i-tair-ee-uhn]

noun

1. a person who does not eat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, fowl, or, in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain, etc.

adjective

1. of or relating to vegetarianism or vegetarians.

2. devoted to or advocating this practice.

3. consisting solely of vegetables.

   vegetarian vegetable soup.

vegetarian

/ ˌvɛdʒɪˈtɛərɪən /

noun

1. a person who advocates or practises vegetarianism

adjective

1. relating to, advocating, or practising vegetarianism

2. cookery strictly, consisting of vegetables and fruit only, but usually including milk, cheese, eggs, etc

Other Word Forms

• nonvegetarian adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of vegetarian¹

First recorded in 1835–45; veget(able) + -arian

Example Sentences

Scientists had thought chimps were docile vegetarians, but on this day about three months after her arrival, Goodall spied a group of the apes feasting on something pink.

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At the time the child died, officers found the defendants' home to be in a "poor" condition, and the family's vegetarian diet mainly consisted of yogurt, lentils and butter, Mr McGhee said.

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Arbor hopes to take that waste, blast it through a “vegetarian rocket engine” to produce energy, then sequester all of the carbon the process would generate underground.

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Merry Go Round further stands out by offering vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.

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Katie, who is a vegetarian, says she was probably missing out.

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