Tomato Meaning
/təˈmɑː.təʊ/Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA widely cultivated plant, Solanum lycopersicum, having edible fruit.
nounThe savory fruit of this plant, most often red when ripe, treated as a vegetable in horticulture and cooking.
Sentence Examples
The tomato is a vegetable, not a fruit.
The tomato is subject to a number of diseases.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Many people mistakenly think the red ____ is a vegetable, but it is actually a fruit.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She picked a large ripe ____ from the garden to add to the fresh salad that we had for our lunch today.
Word Origin & History
Variant of earlier tomate, from Spanish tomate, from Classical Nahuatl tomatl, from Proto-Nahuan *toma-tl. Compare tomatillo.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Deborah Harry, the New Wave goddess, is finally admitting -- after all the peroxide and posturing of the 1970's and 80's -- that she's really just a tomato (her word) from Paterson […]."
— 1999 April 4, Frank Decaro, “No Longer the Punch-Line State”, in The New York Times, section 9, page 1:
"When she left the room, I asked Robert, “Who's the tomato?” “Marisa. She's from Mexico.” He had a telltale smile on his face."
— 2008, Denny Durbin, Lazy Enchiladas: Redefining Success: Tasty Lessons on Love, Life, & Relationships, Bodega Publishing, →ISBN, page 13:
"“Who's the tomato?” a cop said as Evie walked past. “Her? She's the stiff's niece,” another cop answered."
— 2020, Libba Bray, The King of Crows, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, →ISBN:
"When did this happen last, a tomato he's hardly met going to so much trouble? Ever?"
— 2025, Thomas Pynchon, Shadow Ticket, Jonathan Cape, page 19:
"Her face is on the cover: the Anne Estelle Rice portrait – or the black-eyed Japanese-bobbed head-and-shoulders bit of it – and the square-yoked dress is tomato, or pomegranate, but never persimmon. If it stayed too long in the sun and faded, well yes, maybe then…"
— 1990, Beverley Farmer, “December”, in A Body of Water, Sydney, N.S.W.: Giramondo Publishing, published 2020, →ISBN:
Explore More A1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Many people mistakenly think the red ____ is a vegetable, but it is actually a fruit.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She picked a large ripe ____ from the garden to add to the fresh salad that we had for our lunch today.