vegetable

1 of 2

noun

veg·​e·​ta·​ble ˈvej-tə-bəl 

ˈve-jə-, 

ˈvech-

1

: a usually herbaceous plant (such as the cabbage, bean, or potato) grown for an edible part that is usually eaten as part of a meal

also : such an edible part

2

: plant sense 1b

3

a

: a person having a dull or merely physical existence

b

informal + sometimes offensive : a person whose mental and physical functioning is severely impaired and especially one who requires supportive measures (such as mechanical ventilation) to survive

vegetable

2 of 2

adjective

1

a

: of, relating to, constituting, or growing like plants

b

: consisting of plants : vegetational

2

: made from, obtained from, or containing plants or plant products

vegetable soup

vegetable fat

3

: resembling or suggesting a plant (as in inertness or passivity)

Examples of vegetable in a Sentence

Noun

The doctor said I should eat more fruits and vegetables.

a bowl of vegetable soup

The accident had left him a vegetable.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Past outbreaks have been tied to contaminated vegetables, herbs and fruits such as spinach, berries and basil. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 17 July 2026

Frozen vegetables are largely safe from cyclospora because most commercial facilities wash and blanch (briefly dip in boiling water) them before they're packaged, killing the parasite. — Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Adjective

For vegetarians, there are vegetable dogs, along with 10 toppings that don’t contain meat. — Usa Today Network, USA Today, 15 July 2026

Even the vegetable averse will go crazy for these green beans made with bacon, crispy Parm, and plenty of garlic. — Patricia S York, Southern Living, 27 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Medieval Latin vegetābilia, plural noun derivative of vegetābilis vegetable entry 2

Adjective

Middle English, "capable of growth, of or like plants (able to grow but lacking motion or sensation)," borrowed from Medieval Latin vegetābilis, going back to Late Latin, "vivifying, refreshing," from vegetāre "to live, grow" + Latin -bilis "capable of (acting or being acted upon)" — more at vegetate, -able

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing vegetable

• green vegetable
• root vegetable
• textured vegetable protein
• vegetable ivory
• vegetable marrow
• vegetable oil
• vegetable oyster
• vegetable pear
• vegetable wax

Kids Definition

vegetable

1 of 2 adjective

veg·​e·​ta·​ble ˈvej-tə-bəl 

ˈvej-ət-ə-bəl

1

: of, relating to, consisting of, or growing like plants

vegetable growth

2

: made from, obtained from, or containing plants or plant products

vegetable soup

vegetable

2 of 2 noun

1

: plant entry 2 sense 1

2

: a leafy plant (as the cabbage, bean, or potato) usually without woody tissue grown for an edible part that is usually eaten as part of a meal

also : such an edible part

Medical Definition

vegetable

1 of 2 adjective

veg·​e·​ta·​ble ˈvej-tə-bəl, ˈvej-ət-ə- 

1

a

: of, relating to, constituting, or growing like plants

b

: consisting of plants

2

: made or obtained from plants or plant products

vegetable

2 of 2 noun

1

: a usually herbaceous plant (as the cabbage, bean, or potato) grown for an edible part

also : such an edible part

2

: a person whose mental and physical functioning is severely impaired and especially one who requires supportive measures (as intravenous feeding or mechanical ventilation) to survive