Not a particularly exciting word in and of itself, but the etymology is cool beans, if I may say so:
As an Adjective: c.1400, "living and growing as a plant," from O.Fr. vegetable "living, fit to live," from M.L. vegetabilis "growing, flourishing," from L.L. vegetabilis "animating, enlivening," from L. vegetare "to enliven," from vegetus "vigorous, active," from vegere "to be alive, active, to quicken," from PIE *weg- "be strong, lively," related to watch (v.), vigor, velocity, and possibly witch (see vigil). The meaning "resembling that of a vegetable, dull, uneventful" is attested from 1854
As a Noun: 1582, originally any plant, from vegetable (adj.); specific sense of "plant cultivated for food, edible herb or root" is first recorded 1767. Slang shortening veggie first recorded 1955. The O.E. word was wyrte. Meaning "person who leads a monotonous life" is recorded from 1921. The commonest source of words for vegetables in IE languages are derivatives of words for "green" or "growing" (cf. It., Sp. verdura, Ir. glasraidh, Dan. grøntsager). For a different association, cf. Gk. lakhana, related to lakhaino "to dig."
From etymonline.com
Vegetable
Call Any Vegetable
by Frank Zappa
(Cheesey, Cheesey)
(This is a song about vegetables, they keep ya regular
They're real good for yo)
Call any vegetable Call it by name
Call one today When you get off the train
Call any vegetable And the chances are good
Aw, The vegetable will respond to you
(Some people don't go for prunes...I
don't know, I've always found that if they...)
Call any vegetable Pick up your phone
Think of a vegetable Lonely at home
Call any vegetable And the chances are good
That a vegetable will respond to you
Rutabaga, Rutabaga,
Rutabaga, Rutabaga,
Rutabay-y-y-y...
(A prune isn't really a vegetable...
CABBAGE is a vegetable...)
No one will know
If you don't want to let them know
No one will know
'Less it's you that might tell them so
Call and they'll come to you
Covered with dew
Vegetables dream, Of responding to you
Standing there shiny and proud by your side
Holding your hand while the neighbors decide
Why is a vegetable something to hide
by Frank Zappa
(Cheesey, Cheesey)
(This is a song about vegetables, they keep ya regular
They're real good for yo)
Call any vegetable Call it by name
Call one today When you get off the train
Call any vegetable And the chances are good
Aw, The vegetable will respond to you
(Some people don't go for prunes...I
don't know, I've always found that if they...)
Call any vegetable Pick up your phone
Think of a vegetable Lonely at home
Call any vegetable And the chances are good
That a vegetable will respond to you
Rutabaga, Rutabaga,
Rutabaga, Rutabaga,
Rutabay-y-y-y...
(A prune isn't really a vegetable...
CABBAGE is a vegetable...)
No one will know
If you don't want to let them know
No one will know
'Less it's you that might tell them so
Call and they'll come to you
Covered with dew
Vegetables dream, Of responding to you
Standing there shiny and proud by your side
Holding your hand while the neighbors decide
Why is a vegetable something to hide
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Lately it hasn't been working."
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