# Definitive difference between fruits and vegatables?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definitive-difference-between-fruits-and-vegatables/282274>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 30, 2004, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definitive-difference-between-fruits-and-vegatables/282274 "2004-12-30T18:02:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definitive-difference-between-fruits-and-vegatables/282274/21 "2005-01-02T17:51:08Z")

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> [@spingears](#):
>
> [**Fruit**](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=fruit)
> 
> [**Vegetable**](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=vegetable)

Yeah, I am sure he never thought to look at a dictionary. Great post. :rolleyes:

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**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definitive-difference-between-fruits-and-vegatables/282274/22 "2005-01-02T22:46:42Z")

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> [@WhyNot](#):
>
> But - what’s sugar? It’s the dried and powdered sap that comes from the stalk of the sugar cane plant, right? No seeds. Ergo, SUGAR IS A VEGETABLE! 😃

Sugar is a chemical having a certain composition: C[sub]12[/sub]H[sub]22[/sub]O[sub]11[/sub] and can be obtained from the juice of the sugar cane and the sugar beet, but can be made artificially. This sugar is known as sucrose, but there are many other kinds of sugars: glucose, fructose, and ribose. It’s no more a vegetable than table salt.

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**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definitive-difference-between-fruits-and-vegatables/282274/23 "2005-01-02T23:15:48Z")

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> [@barbitu8](#):
>
> Sugar is a chemical having a certain composition: C[sub]12[/sub]H[sub]22[/sub]O[sub]11[/sub] and can be obtained from the juice of the sugar cane and the sugar beet, but can be made artificially. This sugar is known as sucrose, but there are many other kinds of sugars: glucose, fructose, and ribose. It’s no more a vegetable than table salt.

We’ve secretly replaced **barbitu8** ’s regular reading experience with a woosh! Let’s see what happens.  
(Yeah, I know sugar’s not a vegetable. I was joking. Hence the 😃 )

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