# tomato

/təˈmɑˌtoʊ/ (US) · /təmˈɑːtəʊ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/tomato
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. the fruit

noun · CEFR A1

a round, soft, red fruit that you eat in salads or use to make sauces.

For teachers: the edible, pulpy fruit of the tomato plant, botanically a berry but treated as a vegetable in culinary contexts.

- She sliced a fresh tomato to put in her sandwich.
- The chef insisted on using heirloom tomatoes for the gazpacho to ensure a more complex flavor profile than standard supermarket varieties could provide.

### 2. the plant

noun · CEFR A2

the green plant that produces tomatoes.

For teachers: the herbaceous plant of the nightshade family that bears the tomato fruit.

- We planted three tomato plants in the garden this spring.
- The gardener staked the tomato plants early in the season to support the heavy clusters of fruit as they ripened.

### 3. a shade of red

noun · CEFR B2

a bright, warm red colour like a ripe tomato.

For teachers: a vibrant, warm shade of red resembling the skin of a ripe tomato.

- The walls of the kitchen were painted a bright tomato.
- The designer selected a bold tomato for the accent chairs to contrast with the muted grey tones of the living room.

### 4. attractive woman

noun · CEFR C2 · Slang · American English · Archaic

an old-fashioned way to describe a pretty woman.

For teachers: a slang term for an attractive woman, now largely considered dated or sexist.

- In those old black-and-white movies, the hero might call a girl a 'hot tomato'.
- The hard-boiled detective novels of the 1940s frequently employed terms like 'tomato' to describe female characters, a usage that has since vanished from modern prose.

Teaching tip: This sense is archaic and potentially offensive; learners should recognize it in old media but avoid using it in modern conversation.

### 5. colour

adjective · CEFR B1

having a bright red colour.

For teachers: possessing the bright, warm red hue characteristic of a ripe tomato.

- She wore a tomato red dress to the summer party.
- The sunset turned the clouds a deep tomato red just before the light faded completely.

## Examples

- I put a fresh tomato in my sandwich.
- The chef sliced a ripe tomato and drizzled it with olive oil and salt for the salad.
- Heirloom tomato varieties are prized by gardeners for their diverse flavour profiles and vibrant colours, which range from deep purple to bright yellow.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.