vegetarian
/,vedʤi'teəriən/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A person who does not eat meat or fish, and sometimes avoids all animal products: A vegetarian is someone whose diet consists primarily of plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds, excluding the flesh of animals.
Adjective:
- Relating to the practice of not eating meat or fish: Describes food, diets, or principles that are suitable for or characteristic of vegetarians.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- She has been a vegetarian for ten years.
- The restaurant has several options for vegetarians.
Adjective:
- They serve delicious vegetarian food.
- He follows a strict vegetarian diet.
Advanced Usage
"Ethical vegetarian": A person who avoids meat primarily for moral reasons concerning animal welfare.
- As an ethical vegetarian, she opposes factory farming.
"Lacto-ovo vegetarian": A common type of vegetarian who consumes dairy products (lacto) and eggs (ovo) but not meat.
- The menu clearly marks dishes suitable for lacto-ovo vegetarians.
Variants and Related Words
Vegetarianism (n): The practice or philosophy of following a vegetarian diet.
- He adopted vegetarianism for health reasons.
Vegetarianize (v, informal): To make a dish suitable for vegetarians by removing meat.
- You can easily vegetarianize this chili by using beans instead of beef.
Synonyms
- Herbivore (n, biological term): An animal that eats plants. (Note: When applied informally to people, it emphasizes a plant-based diet.)
- Plant-based eater (n): A person whose diet is centered on plants.
Related Phrases
Strict vegetarian: Often used interchangeably with "vegan," indicating someone who consumes no animal products whatsoever, including dairy, eggs, and honey.
- The cake is suitable for strict vegetarians as it uses no butter or eggs.
Go vegetarian: To adopt a vegetarian diet.
- He decided to go vegetarian last January.
Related Idioms
- (As) fit as a vegetarian marathon runner: An informal, modern idiom highlighting the perceived health benefits of a vegetarian diet, implying excellent physical condition.
- After changing his diet, he's as fit as a vegetarian marathon runner.
Noun
- eater of fruits and grains and nuts; someone who eats no meat or fish or (often) any animal products