tomato

noun

to·ma·to tə-ˈmā-(ˌ)tō

chiefly in Britain, eastern New England, northeastern Virginia, and sometimes elsewhere in cultivated speech

-ˈmä-

chiefly in Northern US -ˈma-

plural tomatoes

: the usually large, rounded, edible, pulpy berry of an herb (genus Solanum) of the nightshade family native to South America that is typically red but may be yellow, orange, green, or purplish in color and is eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable

: a plant that produces tomatoes

especially : any of various varieties of a tender perennial (Solanum lycopersicum synonym Lycopersicon esculentum) widely cultivated as an annual

How is tomato pronounced?: Usage Guide

The original pronunciation of this Spanish loanword was with stressed \ä\, as was also the case for potato. The older \ä\ pronunciation of potato is found in Robert Burns' poem "Holy Willie's Prayer" and persists in some Scottish dialects. Perhaps because potato has been part of English longer than tomato, its pronunciation has been anglicized in most dialects, with the stressed \ä\ vowel becoming \ā\, like the a in Plato (from Greek) and dado (from Italian). The pronunciation of tomato began the same journey of anglicization but was halted halfway between, so that British and some Eastern American dialects have the older \ä\ while the others have the newer \ā\. Tomato, being the name of a New World plant, might have entered the English language first in the Americas, where it would have had more time to undergo anglicization in American mouths. The various pronunciations of tomato are all acceptable in standard English.

Examples of tomato in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Add diced tomatoes and sauté for another 5 minutes. —

Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 2 Nov. 2024 Onion seeds, for example, stay fresh only for about one year, while tomato and cucumber seeds last for four to five years with proper storage. —

Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Nov. 2024 Finish with more tender vegetables: To the soup, add carrots, tomatoes, and green beans. —

Renu Dhar, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2024 At Time and Tide, Garcia presents a bisque-esque sauce redolent with paprika and tomato and bolstered by heavy cream. —

Caroline Hatchett, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tomato