What does "tomato" mean?
A widely cultivated plant, Solanum lycopersicum, having edible fruit.
Tomato
/təˈmɑː.təʊ/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A widely cultivated plant, Solanum lycopersicum, having edible fruit.
- Grammar: tomato is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: tomato plant, aubergine, babe, baby.
- Useful contrasts: inedible fruit, nonfood item.
- Usage evidence: The tomato is a vegetable, not a fruit.
How to use "tomato"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tomato" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tomato" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tomato" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tomato" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tomato" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "tomato plant" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tomato", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A widely cultivated plant, Solanum lycopersicum, having edible fruit. countable, uncountable
- 2 mildly acid red or yellow pulpy fruit eaten as a vegetable wordnet
- 3 The savory fruit of this plant, most often red when ripe, treated as a vegetable in horticulture and cooking. countable, uncountable
"He was chopping a tomato to put in the salad."
- 4 native to South America; widely cultivated in many varieties wordnet
- 5 A shade of red, the colour typical of a ripe tomato. countable, uncountable
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 An attractive woman. countable, slang, uncountable
"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 […]."
- 7 A stupid act or person. countable, slang, uncountable
Verb
- 1 to pelt with tomatoes rare, transitive
- 2 to add tomatoes to (a dish) rare, transitive
Adjective
- 1 Of a shade of red, the colour of a ripe tomato.
"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…"
Antonyms
inedible fruitnonfood item
Example
"The tomato is a vegetable, not a fruit."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tomato"?
Common synonyms include: tomato plant, aubergine, babe, baby, bawd, bean.
How do you use "tomato" in a sentence?
The tomato is a vegetable, not a fruit.
How do you pronounce "tomato"?
Pronounced /təˈmɑː.təʊ/.
Etymology
Variant of earlier tomate, from Spanish tomate, from Classical Nahuatl tomatl, from Proto-Nahuan *toma-tl. Compare tomatillo.