Emily Dickinson Lexicon

VEG'E-TA-BLE, n. [Fr. from vegeter, L. vigeo, to grow.]

1. A plant; an organized body destitute of sense aud voluntary motion, deriving its nourishment through pores on its outer surface or vessels, in most instances adhering to some other body, as the earth, and in general, propagating itself by seeds. Some vegetables have spontaneous motion. Vegetables alone have the power of deriving nourishment from inorganic matter, or organic matter entirely decomposed.
2. In a more limited sense, vegetables are such plants as are used for culinary purposes and cultivated in gardens, or are destined for feeding cattle and sheep. Vegetables for these uses are such as are of a more soft and fleshy substance than trees and shrubs; such as cabbage, cauliflower, turneps, potatoes, peas, beans, &c.