First Known Use: 1604
Dictionary
tomato
noun to·ma·to \tə-ˈmā-(ˌ)tō; chiefly British, eNewEng, neVirginia, and sometimes elsewhere in cultivated speech -ˈmä-; chiefly Northern -ˈma-\
: a round, soft, red fruit that is eaten raw or cooked and that is often used in salads, sandwiches, sauces, etc.
plural to·ma·toes
Full Definition of TOMATO
1
: the usually large rounded typically red or yellow pulpy berry of an herb (genus Lycopersicon) of the nightshade family native to South America
2
: a plant that produces tomatoes; especially : one (Lycopersicon esculentum syn. L. lycopersicum) that is a tender perennial widely cultivated as an annual for its edible fruit
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Origin of TOMATO
alteration of earlier tomate, from Spanish, from Nahuatl tomatl
TOMATOES Defined for Kids
tomato
noun to·ma·to \tə-ˈmā-tō, -ˈmä-\
plural to·ma·toes
Definition of TOMATO for Kids
: the usually red juicy fruit of a plant related to the potato that is eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable
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