vegetable
Carrots and broccoli are common vegetables.
Example of edible plants used in meals
A plant or part of a plant used as food, typically as part of a meal.
She grows vegetables in her backyard garden.
Example of cultivating edible plants
The soup contains a mix of fresh vegetables.
Example of vegetables used in cooking
Includes roots, stems, leaves, fruits, and seeds, but excludes herbs, spices, and cereals.
A person who lacks physical or mental energy; a dull or inactive person.
After the long meeting, he felt like a vegetable.
Example of describing someone as inactive
Derived from the idea of a plant that does not move or respond.
Collocations
Synonyms
Pro Tip
Common Mistake: Tomatoes are fruits
In cooking, tomatoes are often treated as vegetables, but botanically they are fruits. This distinction is important in dietary contexts.
Gold Rule
Vegetable vs. Fruit
A vegetable is any edible part of a plant (root, stem, leaf, flower, or seed) that is not sweet. Fruits develop from flowers and contain seeds.
Word Origin
From Middle English <i>vegetable</i> ("vegetative"), from Old French <i>végétable</i> ("that which grows"), from Medieval Latin <i>vegetabilis</i> ("growing, flourishing"), from Latin <i>vegetare</i> ("to animate, quicken"), from <i>vegetus</i> ("lively, vigorous"). The sense of "plant used for food" emerged in the 18th century.
Usage Notes
Vegetables are a key component of a balanced diet. They can be eaten raw, cooked, or processed. The term excludes fruits (e.g., tomatoes, cucumbers) in culinary contexts but includes them botanically.