Mean to cut vegetable (7)
I believe the answer is:
parsnip
'vegetable' is the definition.
(parsnip is a kind of vegetable)
'mean to cut' is the wordplay.
'mean' becomes 'par' (I've seen this before).
'to cut' becomes 'snip' (snipping is a kind of cutting).
'par'+'snip'='PARSNIP'
(Other definitions for parsnip that I've seen before include "Yellow root vegetable" , "Spar pin (anag) - vegetable" , "food" , "Pale carrot-like vegetable" , "A white root vegetable" .)