What is the definition of vegetable?

The definition of "vegetable" can be tricky because it's used in different ways:

Botanically:

* A vegetable is any part of a plant that is edible. This includes roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, and even fungi.

Culinary:

* A vegetable is typically a plant part that is not considered a fruit. This excludes fruits like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, which are botanically fruits but are often used as vegetables in cooking.

* This definition also often excludes certain plant parts that are not commonly eaten raw, like grains, legumes, and nuts.

Dietary:

* Vegetables are often defined as nutrient-rich, low-calorie plant foods. This includes the culinary definition of vegetables as well as other edible plant parts like beans, lentils, and peas.

It's important to remember that these definitions are not always absolute. There is some overlap and inconsistency, and the way "vegetable" is used can depend on context and cultural understanding.

Here are some examples:

* Botanically: Carrots (root), celery (stem), spinach (leaves), broccoli (flower), tomatoes (fruit).

* Culinarily: Carrots, celery, spinach, broccoli, but *not* tomatoes.

* Dietary: Carrots, celery, spinach, broccoli, beans, lentils.

Overall, it's helpful to consider the context in which the term "vegetable" is being used to understand its meaning.