vegetarian

plural vegetarians · alternative obsolete Vegetarian

1. A person who does not eat animal flesh, or, in some cases, use any animal products.First known use 1839

   Heh heh. You hit like a vegetarian!

   2013, Miles Chapman, Arnell Jesko, Escape Plan, spoken by Rottmayer (Arnold Schwarzenegger)

   5 more examples

   "The sight and smell of raw meat are especially odious to me, and I have often thought that if I had had to be my own cook, I should inevitably become a vegetarian, probably, indeed, return entirely to my green and salad days."

   1839, Fanny Kemble, Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839, New York: Harper and Brothers, published 1863, pp. 197-198

   Vegetarian Society […] A society […] formed at Manchester in 1847, to promote the use of cereals, pulse, and fruit, as articles of diet; and to induce habits of abstinence from fish, flesh, and fowl, as food.

   1897, Robert Hunter, Charles Morris, Universal Dictionary of the English Language, volume 4, page 5045

   vegetarian […] One who abstains from animal food, living exclusively on vegetables, milk, eggs, and the like. The more strict vegetarians eat vegetables and farinaceous food only, abstaining from eggs, butter, milk, and in some cases, honey.

   1897, Robert Hunter, Charles Morris, Universal Dictionary of the English Language, volume 4, page 5045

   I went in for all books available on vegetarianism and read them. One of these, Howard Williams' The Ethics of Diet, was a 'biographical history of the literature of humane dietetics from the earliest period to the present day'. It tried to make out, that all philosophers and prophets from Pythagoras and Jesus down to those of the present age were vegetarians.

   1925-29, Mahadev Desai (translator), M.K. Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Part I, chapter xv

   Many vegetarians abhor the thought of killing animals to feed themselves and also the methods by which animals are slaughtered.

   1975 March 21, Judy Klemesrud, “Vegetarianism: Growing Way of Life, Especially Among the Young”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 02 Nov 2025

2. An animal that eats only plants; a herbivore.

   Synonyms: herbivore

comparative more vegetarian · superlative most vegetarian

1. Of or relating to the type of diet eaten by vegetarians (in all senses).First known use 1849

   According to interviews by New York Times correspondents across the country, more and more people—especially the young—are giving up “flesh foods” in favor of a vegetarian way of life.

   1975 March 21, Judy Klemesrud, “Vegetarianism: Growing Way of Life, Especially Among the Young”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 02 Nov 2025

   1 more example

   Must we not put to death blackbirds and thrushes because they feed on worms, or (if capital punishment offends our humanitarianism) starve them slowly by permanent captivity and vegetarian diet?

   1893, David George Ritchie, Natural Rights: A Criticism of Some Political and Ethical Conceptions

   Synonyms: Pythagorean

2. Without meat.
3. Of a product normally made with meat, having non-meat substitutes in place of meat.

   Is there such a thing as a good tasting vegetarian hot dog? Cuz every one I've tried tasted like smelted tire.

   2008, Wil Forbis, Acid Logic: A Decade of Humorous Writing on Pop Culture, Trash Cinema, and Rebel Music, page 208

   Synonyms: plant-based

4. That does not eat meat.

   I have a vegetarian brother

   Antonyms: nonvegetarian

plural Vegetarians

1. obsoleteuncountableusuallyObsolete spelling of vegetarian.

   “I must preface this essay by the confession that I am myself a Vegetarian, and that I mean to say all the good I can of the principles of Vegetarianism.”

   1886, Henry Stephens Salt, A Plea for Vegetarianism and Other Essays, page 7