Vegetarian
/ˌvɛdʒəˈtɛəriən/noun
A person who does not eat meat, and sometimes other animal products.
Did you know?The word vegetarian was coined in the 19th century by the Vegetarian Society, and it ultimately comes from Latin vegetare, meaning “to enliven” or “animate,” not from vegetables alone.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wegʰ-
“to be strong, lively, or active”
Latin
Latin
vegetāre
“to enliven, animate, quicken”
Late Latin
Latin
vegetārius
“pertaining to plants or growth; lively”
19th Century
English
vegetarian
“a person who abstains from eating meat”
Modern English
English
vegetarian
“a person who does not eat meat, and sometimes other animal products”
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