tomato

[ tuh-mey-toh, -mah- ]

noun

, plural to·ma·toes.

1. any of several plants belonging to the genus Lycopersicon, of the nightshade family, native to Mexico and Central and South America, especially the widely cultivated species L. lycopersicum, bearing a mildly acid, pulpy, usually red fruit eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable.
2. the fruit itself.
3. Older Slang: Sometimes Offensive. a girl or woman.

tomato

/ təˈmɑːtəʊ /

noun

1. a solanaceous plant, Lycopersicon (or Lycopersicum ) esculentum, of South America, widely cultivated for its red fleshy many-seeded edible fruits
2. the fruit of this plant, which has slightly acid-tasting flesh and is eaten in salads, as a vegetable, etc
3. slang.
   a girl or woman

Word History and Origins

Origin of tomato¹

1595–1605; 1915–20 tomato fordef 3; earlier tomate < Spanish < Nahuatl tomatl

Word History and Origins

Origin of tomato¹

C17 tomate, from Spanish, from Nahuatl tomatl

Example Sentences

Though we disagree, Matt and Dana have brought me tomatoes from their garden and shopped for me as I’ve quarantined.

From Washington Blade

Once a week you drive to the allotment on the edge of the city where you grow marigolds and petunias, tomatoes and broad beans.

From MIT Technology Review

He worked for the Tip-Top Canning Factory, which was founded by his great-grandfather, and the factory’s tomato farm.

From Freakonomics

Peter Timmer, you will recall, grew up working on the tomato farm and cannery founded by his great-grandfather.

From Freakonomics

De Moraes and her colleagues set up experiments with mustard and tomato plants.

From Science News For Students

Fittingly to that point, its Rotten Tomato score (as of Tuesday evening) was a flat 50 percent.

From The Daily Beast

The tomato sauce is ‘gravy’ to many Italian-Americans of a certain class.

From The Daily Beast

The sandwich is made with thick tiles of quality bread and adorned with lettuce and tomato.

From The Daily Beast

Fresh tomato juice makes an incredible difference in the drink.

From The Daily Beast

Mongolians bravely swallow a glass of pickled sheep eyeballs mixed into tomato juice to chase away their morning-after blues.

From The Daily Beast

The next morning it was that Cash cut the ball of his right thumb open on the sharp edge of a tomato can.

From Project Gutenberg

He made his loaves, tucked them into the pan and greased the top with bacon grease saved in a tomato can for such use.

From Project Gutenberg

A dibble made of a round and sharp-pointed stick is the usual tool for making holes when setting tomato and other plants.

From Project Gutenberg

Among these words are the names of such common things as chocolate, cocoa, tomato.

From Project Gutenberg

She's very pretty, but towards the end of the evening she looked rather like a squashed tomato, I thought.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bunny
• dish

More About Tomato

What is a tomato?

A tomato is a pulpy fruit from the genus Lycopersicon, usually eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable.

Culturally, tomatoes are most often enjoyed as a vegetable, but they are botanically classified as a fruit because the tomato is a developed ovary of a seed plant. Scientifically, they are classified as a berry because the tomato develops from a single flower and does not contain a pit.

There are several species of tomato. Most are native to Central and South America, with many species being farmed in Mexico. The most common tomato purchased and eaten is the L. lycopersicum, also known as the garden tomato. As it grows, the color of its skin changes from green to dark red and is commonly used for food products like ketchup, tomato sauce, and soups.

Other types of tomatoes include cherry tomatoes or Lycopersicon esculentum, named for their small, red appearance similar to a cherry. Currant tomatoes, or Solanum pimpinellifolium, are known for their small size and sweet flavor, while beefsteak tomatoes, or Solanum lycopersicum, grow to be very large and have ridges similar to a pumpkin or gourd. Heirloom tomatoes, which are non-hybrids, come in a variety of sizes and colors

Example: Guinea pigs love cherry tomatoes because they are small and sweet.

Where does tomato come from?

The first records of the term tomato come from around the late 1500s. It comes from the Nahuatl term tomatl. Nahuatl is a language spoken by several Uto-Aztecan tribes, who cultivated the tomato.

The tomato is one of the most popular foods in the world. Although tomatoes are native to South America, China is actually the largest global producer of the fruit, growing over 60 million tonnes a year. It is also the world’s largest consumer of tomatoes. But per person Greece is the largest tomato consumer, with many Mediterranean dishes using raw, stewed, and sundried tomatoes.

In the United States and Canada, tomato can be used as an offensive term for an attractive woman. This term is no longer commonly used.

Did you know … ?

What are some words that share a root or word element with tomato? 

• tomatillo
• tomato fruitworm
• tomato hornworm
• beefsteak tomato
• cherry tomato

What are some words that often get used in discussing tomato?

• acid
• paste
• sauce
• soup
• vegetable

What are some words tomato may be commonly confused with?

• tomatillo

How is tomato used in real life?

Tomatoes are a popular vegetable in many areas of the world. It is a common ingredient in many homemade dishes, as well as in restaurants.

Person: Would you like to eat 6 string cheeses in a row?
Me: Naw.
Person: We deep fried em and there will be tomato sauce.
Me: Oh, ok, yes.

— Shantira Jackson (@tira_tira_tira) April 19, 2017

Arizona is so hot I'm turning into a sun dried tomato

— Ethan Dolan (@EthanDolan) July 8, 2016

when u take a sip of what u think is watermelon juice but it turns out to be tomato:…..,, AWAY SATAN

— camila (@Camila_Cabello) July 26, 2016

 

 

Try using tomato!

True or False?

While we use tomatoes as a vegetable, it is technically a fruit.