tomatillo
Americannoun
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tomatilloes,
plural
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tomatillos
plural
noun
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a solanaceous plant, Physalis ixocarpa , of South America
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Also called: green tomato. the greenish-purple fruit of this plant that is a staple in Mexican cuisine
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of tomatillo
1910–15; < Spanish, diminutive of tomate tomato
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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It includes breakfast sandwiches with slight uplifts - one comes with avocado and tomatillo along with egg and sausage - desserts such as filled donut-like pastries called McPops, and snacks including pretzel bites.
From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2023
On the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and in the lush mountains, pozole is often green — seasoned with a salsa of roasted poblanos, spinach, cilantro and tomatillo.
From Salon ● Feb. 3, 2023
Then there’s butterflied branzino, one side painted red, the other green, with sauces coaxed from guajillo mayonnaise and tomatillo and serrano, respectively.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 30, 2022
To dip, three different salsas are included: a tomatillo salsa, a salsa fresco and a mild tomato puya salsa.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 4, 2022
With his lanky legs and webbed feet, he looked like a tomatillo with toothpicks jutting out of it.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
At Dallas' luxurious Routh Street Cafe, Chef Stephen Pyles offers the ultimate in cross-cultural fare: lobster enchiladas with red pepper creme fraiche and caviar, and fillet of salmon with ancho chili tomatilloes.
From Time Magazine Archive
She says she is paid $3 for each five-gallon bucket of tomatillos she fills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025
Canned tomatillos make the prep go quickly, but be sure to crush and drain them in a strainer over a bowl before using them.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 25, 2023
Add the toasted pasilla chiles, tomatillos, onion, garlic, chicken broth, piloncillo, the remaining teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2023
Examples include melons, peppers, tomatillos, tomatoes and winter squash.
From Seattle Times ● May 13, 2022
In my Cumin Beans With Tomatillo and Chips recipe, for example, you’re instructed to cut the tomatillos, then move them to a serving platter, their final destination.
From Washington Post ● May 6, 2022
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
