vegetable

Universal Words noun 1 (informal) (also veggie especially in AmE) a plant or part of a plant that is eaten as food. Potatoes, beans and onions are all vegetables: green vegetables (for example CABBAGE) * root vegetables (for example CARROTS) * a salad of raw vegetables * a vegetable garden / patch / plot * vegetable oils * vegetable matter (= plants in general) compareANIMAL, FRUIT, MINERAL 2 (BrE also cabbage) a person who is physically alive but not capable of much mental or physical activity, for example because of an accident or illness: Severe brain damage turned him into a vegetable. 3 a person who has a boring life: Since losing my job I've felt like a vegetable.