ENGLISH
REFERENCE

tomato

n. countable
A1 Beginner Oxford US //təˈmɑˌtoʊ// UK //təmˈɑːtəʊ// toma·to Archaic General-service Slang

n. a round, soft, red fruit that you eat as a vegetable. You can eat it raw in salads or cook it to make sauces for pasta and pizza.

n. a pulpy, edible fruit of the nightshade family, typically red and round, though varieties exist in various shapes and colours. While botanically a fruit, it is treated as a vegetable in culinary and legal contexts.


SIMPLE

I put a fresh tomato in my sandwich.

CONTEXTUAL

The chef sliced a ripe tomato and drizzled it with olive oil and salt for the salad.

COMPLEX

Heirloom tomato varieties are prized by gardeners for their diverse flavour profiles and vibrant colours, which range from deep purple to bright yellow.

Origin

Variant of earlier tomate, from Spanish tomate, from Classical Nahuatl tomatl, from Proto-Nahuan *toma-tl. Compare tomatillo.

Usage

Countable when referring to the individual fruit; can behave as uncountable when referring to the substance in a crushed or sauced state.

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