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vegetable

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

/ ˈvɛdʒ tə bəl, ˈvɛdʒ ɪ tə- /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR vegetable

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.

VIDEO FOR VEGETABLE

WATCH NOW: 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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QUIZZES

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Question 1 of 9

You may have read the word "simmer" in a recipe or two, but what does it really mean?

To cook in water that begins cold and then reaches a boil.

To stew in a sauce for a long time.

To cook in water, just below boiling temperature.

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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. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for vegetable

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
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
“My brain injuries were so severe they thought I was going to be a vegetable for the rest of my life,” he says.
From G.I. to Eye Candy: War Vet Alex Minsky’s Model Turn|Itay Hod|March 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"He poured out everything Gregory gave him after that, the vegetable juices, every elixir," Harold says.
The Stacks: Harold Conrad Was Many Things, But He Was Never, Ever Dull|Mark Jacobson|March 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Fried fats, hydrogenated fats, and vegetable oils are going to lead to more cravings and less satisfaction.
Five Ways to Recover Faster From Your Thanksgiving Binge|Dave Asprey|November 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In the dark country I had expected to find little if any vegetable growth.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science January 1931|Various
It is a strong agent in the decomposition of vegetable matter, and is thus of much importance in preparing manures.
The Elements of Agriculture|George E. Waring
It has been aptly termed the "princess of the vegetable world."
Equatorial America|Maturin M. Ballou
The soil is sandy silt with a considerable admixture of vegetable matter.
The Bontoc Igorot|Albert Ernest Jenks
There will be a garden and flowerbeds, and a vegetable garden.
Letters of Anton Chekhov|Anton Chekhov

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.

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