mildly acid red or yellow pulpy fruit eaten as a vegetable
"The salad featured fresh tomato slices that added a pleasant, mild acidity to the dish."
native to South America; widely cultivated in many varieties
"The tomato, a fruit native to South America that has been widely cultivated in countless varieties worldwide, is now a staple ingredient in kitchens around the globe."
A widely cultivated plant, Solanum lycopersicum, having edible fruit.
"The garden was filled with ripe red tomatoes ready to be picked for sauce."
In plain English: A tomato is a round red fruit that people often cook with as if it were a vegetable.
"She added two fresh tomatoes to her salad for lunch."
Usage: In everyday conversation and recipes, the word refers to the red or green vegetable-like fruit of the tomato plant rather than its botanical classification as a berry. Use it interchangeably with "tomatoes" in most contexts where quantity is implied by an adjective like "ripe."
to pelt with tomatoes
"The angry mob decided to tomato the politician as he left the town hall."
The word tomato comes from the Spanish term tomate, which was borrowed from the Classical Nahuatl word tomatl. Originally, this Nahuatl term referred to a specific type of fruit or plant.