Why are Vegetarians not called Herbevores?

I don’t mind being called an herbivore.

I suppose it’s the same as most meat eaters aren’t referred to carnivores or omnivores, as those sound like more of a definition of species rather than personal choice.

By convention, “vegetarian” is used to apply to human herbivores. Neither term really accounts for the fact that most vegetarian diets include lots of non-plant material. Just takes too dang long to say “ovo-lacto-vegetarian”.

Herbivores are a group of mammals that feed on plants. It is a biological term. Human beings are, biologically speaking, omnivores. Vegetarians are human beings who choose not to eat meat, but that does not change their biological ability to eat meat.

Thank you very much everyone.

all vegetarians backslide and eat chicken.

@buster: That is not true at all. Such accusations are unmerited and unfounded.

@ Buster ~ where/how did you form that opinion?

BTW veg-head here for most of my life by choice, not due to some sort of zealotry that would involve backsliding as you put it.

Well, herbivores normally are associated with animals. And Vegetarians are for humans.