1. Engaged in or relating to processes of nutrition or growth, as distinct from reproduction.
2. Existing like a vegetable, without will or consciousness; relating to or typical of vegetation, plants, or plant growth.
3. Characterized by the reduction or absence of the usual mental or physical functions, often as a result of injury to the brain.
4. A reference to involuntary bodily functions or to the autonomic nervous system; such as, digestion or the autonomic nervous activity, or to a structure or stage in development which is concerned with nutrition and growth.

Autonomic is a term which refers to an action or response that occurs without conscious control.

A type of coma in which the patient shows alternating sleep and wake cycles: "As a result of a severe damage to certain areas of the brain, the person is unconscious when he or she is in the persistent vegetative coma, even when that patient appears to be awake."

A plant which completes its life cycle without producing any seeds.

The production of a new plant from a portion of another plant; such as, a stem or a branch.