ENGLISH
REFERENCE

vegan

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈvɛɡən// UK //vˈiːɡən// ve·g·an

n. someone who does not eat or use any products that come from animals. This includes meat, fish, eggs, milk, and even honey or leather.

n. a person who refrains from using or consuming any animal products for dietary, ethical, or environmental reasons. The term is often used as a modifier before other nouns.


SIMPLE

She became a vegan to help protect animals.

CONTEXTUAL

The restaurant added several new dishes to the menu to accommodate the growing number of vegans in the city.

COMPLEX

While some people adopt the lifestyle for health benefits, many vegans are motivated by a moral philosophy that rejects the commodity status of sentient beings.

Origin

Etymology tree Middle English vegetable English vegetable English -arian English vegetarian English vegan Clipping of vegetarian or vegetable, 1944. Coined by English vegan activist Donald Watson of the Vegan Society and first used in the name of The Vegan News.

Usage

Commonly used as an attributive noun (e.g., 'vegan diet', 'vegan leather') to indicate the absence of animal products.

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