tomatillo

[ toh-muh-tee-oh, -teel-yoh ]

/ ˌtoʊ məˈti oʊ, -ˈtil yoʊ /

noun, plural to·ma·til·loes, to·ma·til·los.

a plant, Physalis ixocarpa, of the nightshade family, native to Mexico, having yellow flowers with five blackish spots in the throat and bluish, sticky berries in a purple-veined calyx.

Nearby words

tom, dick, and harry, tom-tom, tomahawk, tomalley, toman, tomatillo, tomato, tomato aspic, tomato fruitworm, tomato hornworm, tomb

Origin of tomatillo

1910–15; < Spanish, diminutive of tomate tomato

Also called Mexican ground cherry.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for tomatillo

tomatillo

/ (tɒməˈtɪləʊ, -ˈtiːjəʊ) /

noun

a solanaceous plant, Physalis ixocarpa, of South America

the greenish-purple fruit of this plant that is a staple in Mexican cuisineAlso called: green tomato

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012