1. (Biol.) A plant. See Plant.
2. A plant used or cultivated for food for man or domestic animals, as the cabbage, turnip, potato, bean,
dandelion, etc.; also, the edible part of such a plant, as prepared for market or the table.
Vegetables and fruits are sometimes loosely distinguished by the usual need of cooking the former
for the use of man, while the latter may be eaten raw; but the distinction often fails, as in the case of
quinces, barberries, and other fruits, and lettuce, celery, and other vegetables. Tomatoes if cooked are
vegetables, if eaten raw are fruits.
Vegetal
(Veg"e*tal) a. [F. végétal. See Vegetable.]
1. Of or pertaining to vegetables, or the vegetable kingdom; of the nature of a vegetable; vegetable.
All creatures vegetal, sensible, and rational.
Burton. 2. (Biol.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, that class of vital phenomena, such as digestion, absorption,
assimilation, secretion, excretion, circulation, generation, etc., which are common to plants and animals,
in distinction from sensation and volition, which are peculiar to animals.
Vegetal
(Veg"e*tal), n. [F.] A vegetable. [R.] B. Jonson.
Vegetality
(Veg`e*tal"i*ty) n.
1. The quality or state of being vegetal, or vegetable. [R.]
2. (Biol.) The quality or state of being vegetal, or exhibiting those physiological phenomena which are
common to plants and animals. See Vegetal, a., 2.
Vegetarian
(Veg`e*ta"ri*an) n. One who holds that vegetables and fruits are the only proper food for
man. Strict vegetarians eat no meat, eggs, or milk.
Vegetarian
(Veg`e*ta"ri*an), a. Of or pertaining to vegetarianism; as, a vegetarian diet.
Vegetarianism
(Veg`e*ta"ri*an*ism) n. The theory or practice of living upon vegetables and fruits.
Vegetate
(Veg"e*tate) v. i. [imp. & p. p. Vegetated ; p. pr. & vb. n. Vegetating.] [L. vegetatus, p.
p. of vegetare to enliven. See Vegetable.]
1. To grow, as plants, by nutriment imbibed by means of roots and leaves; to start into growth; to sprout; to
germinate.
See dying vegetables life sustain,
See life dissolving vegetate again.
Pope. 2. Fig.: To lead a live too low for an animate creature; to do nothing but eat and grow. Cowper.
Persons who . . . would have vegetated stupidly in the places where fortune had fixed them.
Jeffrey. 3. (Med.) To grow exuberantly; to produce fleshy or warty outgrowths; as, a vegetating papule.
Vegetation
(Veg`e*ta"tion) n. [Cf. F. végétation, L. vegetatio an enlivening. See Vegetable.]
1. The act or process of vegetating, or growing as a plant does; vegetable growth.
2. The sum of vegetable life; vegetables or plants in general; as, luxuriant vegetation.
3. (Med.) An exuberant morbid outgrowth upon any part, especially upon the valves of the heart.
