NYT Dictionary

VEGETABLE

/ˈvɛt͡ʃ.tə.bəl/
NounAdjectiveVEG-e-ta-bleveg-e-ta-ble · 4 syllablesGrade 3

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025

Meaning

Any plant.

Etymology

Origin: Old English

Etymology tree Proto-Italic *weg-o-der.? Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *woǵéyetider. Proto-Italic *wogeōder.? Latin vegeō Latin vegetus Latin vegetāre, vegetō Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin vegetābilisbor. Old French vegetablebor. Middle English vegetable English vegetable From Middle English vegetable, from Old French vegetable, from Latin vegetābilis (“able to live and grow”), derived from vegetāre (“to enliven”). Displaced Old English wyrt and ofett, whence modern wort and ovest. Related to vigil, vigour, vajra, and waker.

Synonyms & Antonyms

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 1 recorded puzzle, including a pangram:

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