tomato
tuh-MAH-toh
Tomato (noun) means the red, juicy fruit of the plant Solanum lycopersicum, used as a vegetable in cooking. Example: “She sliced a ripe tomato for the salad.”
noun
1
The red, juicy fruit of the plant Solanum lycopersicum, used as a vegetable in cooking.
"She sliced a ripe tomato for the salad."
"The sauce is made from crushed tomatoes and garlic."
"Grow a tomato plant on the windowsill and you will have fruit by summer."
2
A shade of red similar to a ripe tomato.
"The walls were painted a bold tomato red."
"The sports car was finished in a glossy tomato that stood out in traffic."
"She chose a bright tomato for the front door."
3
An attractive woman (dated slang).
"The old detective novel described her as "quite a tomato.""
"In the old film, the hero called her a real tomato."
"Grandad says every young man in town thought she was a tomato."
How to use tomato
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost commonly the round, red garden fruit used as a vegetable; also a shade of red and, in old slang, a way to describe an attractive woman.
When to use it
The "attractive woman" sense is dated 1940s-50s slang and would sound old-fashioned or objectifying today.
Common pairings
ripe tomato
tomato sauce
cherry tomato
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Word forms
- Plural
- tomatoes
- Third person singular
- tomatos
- Past tense
- tomatoed
- Comparative
- more tomato
- Superlative
- most tomato
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She sliced a ripe _____ for the salad.
Etymology
From Spanish "tomate," from the Classical Nahuatl word "tomatl."
Synonyms
View more →
love apple
mater
Related words
Rhymes for tomato
See all rhymes for tomato →Frequently asked questions
What does “tomato” mean?
The word “tomato” means the red, juicy fruit of the plant Solanum lycopersicum, used as a vegetable in cooking. In plain terms, most commonly the round, red garden fruit used as a vegetable; also a shade of red and, in old slang, a way to describe an attractive woman.
How do you pronounce “tomato”?
“Tomato” is pronounced tuh-MAH-toh (/təˈmeɪ.toʊ/ in IPA).
How do you use “tomato” in a sentence?
Here is “tomato” used in a sentence: “She sliced a ripe tomato for the salad.”
What part of speech is “tomato”?
“Tomato” is a noun.
Where does the word “tomato” come from?
The word “tomato” comes from Spanish. From Spanish "tomate," from the Classical Nahuatl word "tomatl.".
Is “tomato” a common word?
“Tomato” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “tomato” have?
“Tomato” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the red, juicy fruit of the plant Solanum lycopersicum, used as a vegetable in cooking.
Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?
Botanically, a tomato is the fruit of the plant Solanum lycopersicum, since it develops from the flower and contains seeds, but it is commonly used as a vegetable in cooking, in savory dishes rather than desserts. This is why tomato is often described both ways depending on whether the context is scientific or culinary.
What does it mean to describe a color as tomato?
When used to describe a color, tomato refers to a shade of red similar to a ripe tomato, a warm, vivid red often used in fashion, design, and product descriptions.
Is calling someone a tomato still used in modern English?
The use of tomato to mean an attractive woman is dated slang, largely associated with older American English from the early to mid twentieth century, and it is rarely used in modern speech. Most current uses of tomato refer to the fruit or the color rather than this outdated slang sense.
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