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View synonyms for tomato

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
“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


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Word History and Origins

Origin of tomato1

1595–1605; 1915–20 tomato fordef 3; earlier tomate < Spanish < Nahuatl tomatl
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Word History and Origins

Origin of tomato1

C17 tomate, from Spanish, from Nahuatl tomatl
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Compare Meanings

How does tomato compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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Example Sentences

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fresh tomato juice makes an incredible difference in the drink.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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

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

What are some words tomato may be commonly confused with?

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.

 

 

Try using tomato!

True or False?

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

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tomatillotomato aspic