Why do we call some vegetables that are actually fruits, vegetables?

Question

Squash, cucumber, peas. All of these and more are actually fruits.

And some people think the tomato is a vegetable. It isn't. It's a fruit.

Answer 1

Be group them by how we tend to eat them, not by what they actually are.

Answer 2

The U.S. government knew that certain fruits were fruits (such as a tomato or cucumber), but labeled them as vegetables because of the way they would be taxed as imports and exports. In order to protect American farmers, vegetable and fruit imports were taxed differently, and it was the level of taxation the government wanted to impose which ended up having crates marked as "vegetables"
This was over a century ago.

Answer 3

The mass majority doesn't use the technical/biological definition for distinguishing fruit from veggie.

We tend to think: fruits are sweet and used in dessert; veggies are not sweet, and used in the main course.

Answer 4

I think it is because people think of vegetables as plain tasting (like green beans, peas, carrots, etc.)

and they think of fruits as sweet and having more flavor (like oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, etc.)

Answer 5

The are treated as vegetables - cooked/used in savory dishes instead of desserts.

Answer 6

they are classed by their use.
a catch word for marketing.
sweet fruits are used in desserts..
most of the others as side dishes

Answer 7

its those nasty Botanists confusing everything again

a plant gets a flower, the flower gets fertilized by bees or bats or whatever, then you get a fruit

Answer 8

Not knowing the truth properly does it.