What is the Latin word for vegetable?

The usual Latin words for “vegetable” are holus, pulmentum, obsōnium. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“vegetable” in Latin

holusvegetable; greens pulmentuma small portion of meat or fish eaten as a starter to a meal (later applied to larger savory dishes); a condiment, sauce obsōniumfood; victuals; groceries; provisions; shopping; groceries

The English word vegetable itself goes back to Latin vegetō, through vegetābilis.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

vegetable

quae terra ipsa ex se generata stirpibus infixa continet: ea, quorum stirpes terra continentur: quae a terra stirpibus continentur: res, quae gignuntur e terra. Vegetables (for the table), olus plur., olera (pulmentum, obsonium = anything eaten with bread; as, vegetables, meat, fish).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for vegetable?: The usual Latin words for “vegetable” are holus, pulmentum, obsōnium. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.