tomato

Everyday

A tomato is a soft, round, juicy fruit, usually red, which is eaten raw in salads or cooked in sauces and soups. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons the tomato is a botanical fruit because it grows from a flower and contains seeds, though in cooking it is used like a vegetable. Pupils grow tomato plants to study plant growth, flowers and seeds. In everyday life tomatoes make ketchup, pizza sauce and soup. Phrases: «tomato sauce» (UK, Australia: ketchup), «cherry tomato», «tomato soup».

Examples

• I put slices of tomato in my sandwich. tree →
• The tomato plant grew tall in the greenhouse. tree →
• Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? tree →
• Cherry tomatoes are small and sweet. tree →
• We made tomato soup in class. tree →
• Green tomatoes turn red as they ripen. tree →
• Pass the tomato sauce, please. tree →
• Do you wish to be fried in a pan, or do you prefer to be cooked with tomato sauce?” tree →

Note

Plural: tomatoes (with -es, like potatoes). Pronunciation: «to-MAH-to» in the UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ; «to-MAY-to» in the USA and Canada. Myth: tomatoes are poisonous — the fruit is safe; only the leaves and stems are mildly toxic.