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The American Dialect Society gave the term flexitarian to describe meat-eating vegetarians its top honor for most useful word of 2003.

Flexitarians adhere mostly to the vegetarian diet as a healthy lifestyle rather than following an ideology. They feel an occasional meal that includes fish, fowl or meat is acceptable.

The market for vegetarian food in the United States has grown significantly in the past five years, from about 646 million dollars in 1998 to 1.6 billion dollars in 2003, according to a report by the Mintel Group, a consulting company that tracks consumer habits. The report predicts that the market will reach 2.5 billion dollars by 2008.

It is estimated that about three percent of the population are vegetarians - those who never eat meat, fish or fowl. About one percent of that number includes people who consider themselves vegan - they also exclude dairy, eggs and other animal byproducts from their diets.

But flexitarians could be estimated as high as 40 percent of the American population, according to Charles Stahler, co-director of the Vegetarian Resource Group.

The rise in flexitarians could be linked to a number of factors, including issues such as health and fitness. Also, economic pressure has forced traditional grocery stores to carry more ethnic and natural foods, making it easier to buy vegetarian products.

The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for a Livable Future likes the term flexitarian because it suggests moderation, something the center has been trying to promote with a Meatless Monday health campaign.

Meatless Monday is a national program to help prevent heart disease, stroke and cancer -- the three leading causes of death in America. The goal is to reduce consumption of saturated fat by at least 15 percent by 2010. The campaign defines meatless as abstaining from meat and poultry, but not fish and seafood. They do not promote giving up meat entirely, but want to recognize the health benefits connected with decreasing consumption of meat.

There are all sorts of vegetarians, including so-called flexitarians, who adhere mostly to a vegetarian diet but still occasionally eat meat. Here's a look at the various categories of food consumers:

Vegans: Do not eat meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs or honey.
True vegetarians: Do not eat meat, poultry or fish.

Flexitarians: Include the groups below:

Vegetarian: Those who say they are vegetarian, or "almost vegetarian," but use some meat, poultry or fish.
Vegetarian inclined: Replace meat with meat alternatives for at least some meals, usually maintain a vegetarian diet, or eat four or more meatless meals per week.
Health-conscious: Strive for a balanced eating plan or eat two to three meatless meals per week.