Veggies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A colloquial term referring to vegetables; commonly used to denote plant-based food items often consumed for health benefits; can imply a lifestyle choice emphasizing the consumption of such foods over meat-based options
2. An informal expression for various types of edible plants; frequently associated with nutrition and healthful eating habits; signifies a preference for vegetarian or plant-centric diets
3. An everyday word used to describe greens and other vegetable varieties; typically linked to dietary practices that prioritize plant sources; can also signify a general attitude towards healthy eating

Etymology: "Veggies" is the plural of "veggie", and the singular is itself a clipping: a shortened form of "vegetable" and/or "vegetarian" with the diminutive ending "-ie" added. The ending is the same one found in words like "hankie" and "movie", which turned ordinary nouns into casual, friendly versions of themselves. The result is a word that sounds cheerful and informal, the kind of label used in a lunchbox or at a dinner table rather than in a botany textbook. The blend of two source words explains why the term now carries both senses. "Vegetable" supplies the plants themselves, while "vegetarian" supplies the diet-related association, so a "veggie" can be either a carrot on a plate or a person who eats no meat. Because the clipping absorbed both words, the term drifted easily between describing food and describing a way of eating, and the plural "veggies" is most often used for the food itself.

Synonyms: vegetables, greens, produce, plants, herbs