vegetable

 
Pronunciation: /ˈvɛdʒtəb(ə)l, ˈvɛdʒɪtə-/

noun

  • 1a plant or part of a plant used as food, such as a cabbage, potato, turnip, or bean: fresh fruit and vegetables a root vegetable
  • 2 informal, offensive a person who is incapable of normal mental or physical activity, especially through brain damage.
  • informal a person with a dull or inactive life: I thought I’d sort of flop back and be a vegetable for a bit

adjective

[attributive]
  • relating to vegetables as food: a vegetable garden vegetable soup
  • relating to plants or plant life, especially as distinct from animal life or mineral substances: decaying vegetable matter

Origin:

late Middle English (in the sense 'growing as a plant'): from Old French, or from late Latin vegetabilis 'animating', from Latin vegetare (see vegetate). The noun dates from the late 16th century

Spelling help

Vegetable is spelled with an e after the g, as well one as before it.