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vegetable

[ vej-tuh-buhl, vej-i-tuh- ]

/ ˈvɛdʒ tə bəl, ˈvɛdʒ ɪ tə- /

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See synonyms for: vegetable / vegetables on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

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

any member of the plant kingdom; plant.

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

a dull, spiritless, and uninteresting person.

adjective

of, consisting of, or made from edible vegetables: a vegetable diet.

of, relating to, or characteristic of plants: the vegetable kingdom.

derived from plants: vegetable fiber; vegetable oils.

consisting of, comprising, or containing the substance or remains of plants: vegetable matter; a vegetable organism.

of the nature of or resembling a plant: the vegetable forms of Art Nouveau ornament.

inactive; inert; dull; uneventful: a vegetable existence.

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Are These Foods Fruits, Vegetables, Or Berries?

How can we know what is a fruit? A vegetable? A berry? A nut? Doesn't it seem like it's always changing? Why is it so confusing?

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Origin of vegetable

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

OTHER WORDS FROM vegetable

non·veg·e·ta·ble, noun, adjective

Words nearby vegetable

Vega Alta, Vega Baja, vegan, vegeburger, Vegemite, vegetable, vegetable butter, vegetable cellar, vegetable ivory, vegetable kingdom, vegetable marrow

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use vegetable in a sentence

Kanukollu, 26, said that unlike other vertical farming models, which only grow lettuce and basil, UrbanKisaan has devised technology to grow over 50 varieties of vegetables.
UrbanKisaan is betting on vertical farming to bring pesticide-free vegetables to consumers and fight India’s water crisis|Manish Singh|September 17, 2020|TechCrunch
So even as the average flow of the Colorado River — the water supply for 40 million Western Americans and the backbone of the nation’s vegetable and cattle farming — has declined for most of the last 33 years, the population of Nevada has doubled.
Climate Change Will Force a New American Migration|by Abrahm Lustgarten, photography by Meridith Kohut|September 15, 2020|ProPublica
It was rejecting the microwave dinners and canned vegetables of your foreparents, making double stock from leftover roast chickens instead of buying broth in a carton, and eschewing pre-cut fruit and instant rice.
The Redemption of the Spice Blend|Jaya Saxena|September 10, 2020|Eater
You drive to the allotment and attend to your flowers and vegetables.
The first murder|Katie McLean|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review

An 850-watt motor powers through hard veggies like carrots, while the two-speed control knob slows things down for softer fruits and vegetables.
These juicers give you delicious, vitamin-packed drinks at home|PopSci Commerce Team|July 9, 2020|Popular-Science
Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, high-sided cast iron skillet.
Make Carla Hall’s Crispy Shallot Green Bean Casserole|Carla Hall|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The stewed cabbage is insanely tender, vegetable-sweet, and more luxurious than cabbage has a right to be.
The Heart and Soul (Food) of Orlando|Jane & Michael Stern|June 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Traffic was terrible, though, so only a few dozen people gamely remained to pick over the vegetable spread and drink beer.
How the Left Cut Down a Democratic Frontrunner|David Freedlander|May 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Poking through this crunchy-sweet vegetable mound is edible ecstasy.
Become a Fried Seafood Believer at South Beach Market|Jane & Michael Stern|April 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The truth is that diet should be varied and no single vegetable produces “miracle” results.
The Dangers of Superfoods|Lizzie Crocker|April 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Grain merchants and vegetable dealers jostled each other in the streets themselves.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
Clodd tells us that one cubic inch of rotten stone contains 41 thousand million vegetable skeletons of diatoms.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
Even slight familiarity with the microscopic structure of vegetable tissue will prevent the chagrin of such errors.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
It is likewise formed daring the decay of animal and vegetable matters, and is consequently evolved from dung and compost heaps.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry|Thomas Anderson
It is produced abundantly when vegetable matters are burnt, as also during respiration, fermentation, and many other processes.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry|Thomas Anderson

British Dictionary definitions for vegetable

vegetable

/ (ˈvɛdʒtəbəl) /

noun

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

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

a dull inactive person
(as modifier)a vegetable life

(modifier) consisting of or made from edible vegetablesa vegetable diet

(modifier) of, relating to, characteristic of, derived from, or consisting of plants or plant materialvegetable oils

rare any member of the plant kingdom

Word Origin for vegetable

c14 (adj): from Late Latin vegetābilis animating, from vegetāre to enliven, from Latin vegēre to excite

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for vegetable

vegetable

[ vĕj′tə-bəl, vĕj′ĭ-tə- ]

n.

A plant cultivated for an edible part, such as the root of the beet, the leaf of spinach, or the flower buds of broccoli or cauliflower.

The edible part of such a plant.

adj.

Of, relating to, or derived from plants or a plant.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for vegetable

vegetable

[ vĕj′tə-bəl ]

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.

An edible part of one of these plants. See Note at fruit.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.