tomato
gb/təmˈeɪtoʊ/ us/təmˈeɪtoʊ/
A1
English
~ 9400
paradicsom, paradicsomtő, paradicsompiros, jó bőr, bombázó
NOUN
A1
1
paradicsom
A1
Usage pattern:
eat [a] tomato / add [tomatoes] to [a dish]
She cut some tomato and cucumber for the salad.
Felvágott egy kis paradicsomot és uborkát a salátához.
I like a little salt on fresh tomato slices.
Szeretek egy kis sót szórni a friss paradicsomszeletekre.
The pasta is served with a rich tomato and basil topping.
We grow our own tomatoes in the backyard.
He opened a can of chopped tomatoes for the stew.
Learner examples
I put tomato on my sandwich.
Paradicsomot teszek a szendvicsembe.
We eat tomatoes with oil and salt.
Olajjal és sóval esszük a paradicsomot.
She buys tomatoes at the market every week.
This soup has a lot of tomato in it.
He grows tomatoes in his small garden.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *many tomato* instead of *many tomatoes*. Remember that *tomato* is countable and the regular plural is *tomatoes* (with -es). Some learners are also confused by the spelling and write *tomatos*, which is incorrect.
Meaning
red edible fruit used in cooking
Collocations
fresh tomatoes
|ripe tomatoes
|slice tomatoes
|cherry tomatoes
|tomato salad
|tomato sauce
Themes
food
|cooking
|daily life
|food_drink
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A round red fruit that we often eat in salads or cook in sauces and many dishes.
A soft, round, usually red fruit that is commonly used as a vegetable in salads, sauces, and many cooked dishes.
NOUN
B1
2
paradicsomtő
B1
paradicsom
A1
Usage pattern:
a tomato plant in [a place]
We planted three tomato plants along the fence.
Három paradicsomtövet ültettünk a kerítés mentén.
This tomato needs to be moved to a bigger pot.
Ezt a paradicsomtövet nagyobb cserépbe kell átültetni.
Tomato plants need plenty of sun and regular watering.
The tomato plant was covered in small yellow flowers.
She grows cherry tomatoes on a single tomato plant on her balcony.
Learner examples
We have one tomato plant in our garden.
Van egy paradicsomtő a kertünkben.
He waters the tomato plants every morning.
Minden reggel meglocsolja a paradicsomtöveket.
The tomato plant is tall and green.
I want to grow a tomato plant on my balcony.
This tomato plant has many small green tomatoes.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the plant with the fruit and say *I planted tomatoes* when they mean they planted the plants themselves. Both are possible in English, but *tomato plant* is clearer when you talk about gardening.
Meaning
plant that grows tomatoes
Collocations
tomato plant
|grow tomato plants
|water the tomato plants
|potted tomato plant
Themes
plants
|gardening
|food
|nature
|food_drink
Definition
The plant that makes tomatoes, usually a green plant with small yellow flowers.
The plant on which tomatoes grow, typically a low, spreading or climbing plant with yellow flowers.
NOUN
B2
3
Usage pattern:
a [tomato] [piece of clothing / color item]
She chose a bold tomato for her living room walls.
Merész paradicsompiros színt választott a nappali falaira.
The designer paired a tomato jacket with black trousers.
A tervező paradicsompiros zakót párosított fekete nadrággal.
He painted the front door in a vivid tomato to make it stand out.
Her lipstick was a bright tomato that matched her shoes.
The catalog shows this sofa available in navy, grey, and tomato.
Learner examples
She is wearing a tomato dress.
Paradicsompiros ruhát visel.
The door is painted a tomato color.
Az ajtó paradicsompirosra van festve.
I like this tomato red shirt.
He bought a tomato jacket for the party.
The sofa comes in blue or tomato.
Common mistake:
Learners may think *tomato* always means the food. In fashion or design, it can name a color, especially in contexts like *tomato red* or product descriptions.
Meaning
bright red color like tomato
Collocations
tomato red
|in tomato
|tomato lipstick
|tomato dress
Synonyms
red (A general color word; *tomato* refers to a specific bright shade of red.)
Antonyms
green (A contrasting color to red and the typical color of an unripe tomato.)
Themes
colors
|fashion
|design
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A strong red color that looks like a ripe tomato.
A shade of strong, bright red similar to the color of a ripe tomato.
NOUN
C1
SLANG
4
Usage pattern:
call [someone] a tomato
The movie uses old slang and calls the lead actress a real tomato.
A film régi szlenget használ, és a főszereplőnőt igazi jó bőrnek nevezi.
In that 1950s novel, the hero keeps talking about every tomato he meets.
Abban az 1950-es évekbeli regényben a hős minden nőt, akivel találkozik, folyton jó bőrként emleget.
Today, most people find the word tomato for a woman sexist and outdated.
The script was rewritten to remove lines where women were called tomatoes.
He quoted an old song that used the word tomato for a pretty girl.
Learner examples
In an old film, a man calls a woman a tomato.
Egy régi filmben egy férfi jó bőrnek nevez egy nőt.
People today think the word tomato for a woman is rude.
Ma már sokan sértőnek tartják, ha egy nőre azt mondják: jó bőr.
You should not call a woman a tomato.
The book uses the word tomato for a pretty girl, but it is old slang.
This slang meaning of tomato is not common now.
Common mistake:
Learners may see *tomato* used for a woman in old movies or books and think it is normal, modern English. It is now dated slang and usually sounds rude or sexist, so it is best understood but not used.
Meaning
attractive young woman (slang, dated)
Collocations
a real tomato
|a cute tomato
|some tomato he met
Synonyms
babe (Also informal and can sound sexist; more common today than *tomato* but still often inappropriate.)
Themes
people
|appearance
|slang
|relationships
Definition
An old slang word for a very attractive young woman. It is now rude and should not be used.
A slang and now dated, often offensive term for a sexually attractive young woman.
Grammar
Dictionary form
tomato
IPA
GB/təmˈeɪtoʊ/
US/təmˈeɪtoʊ/
Syllables & stress
to - mato (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (mato)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: tomato
- Plural: tomato, tomatoes
Word family
Forms
tomatoes
noun
Expressions
cherry tomato
1/t͡ʃˈɛɹi təmˈeɪtoʊ/
fixed phrase
small round type of tomato
A very small, round tomato that you can usually eat in one bite.
Examples
- She added cherry tomatoes to the salad.
- We grow cherry tomatoes in pots on the balcony.
- Cherry tomatoes are sweet and easy to snack on.
sun-dried tomatoes
1/sˈʌn dɹˈaɪd təmˈeɪtoʊz/
fixed phrase
tomatoes dried and preserved
Tomato pieces that have been dried, usually in the sun or in an oven, to keep them and make their taste stronger.
Examples
- The pasta was topped with sun-dried tomatoes and olives.
- She buys sun-dried tomatoes in oil for her salads.
- Sun-dried tomatoes have a strong, sweet tomato flavor.
tomato juice
1/təmˈeɪtoʊ d͡ʒˈus/
fixed phrase
drink made from tomatoes
A drink made from crushed tomatoes, sometimes with salt or spices.
Examples
- He ordered a glass of tomato juice on the plane.
- Some people like to drink tomato juice for breakfast.
- Tomato juice is often used in cocktails like a Bloody Mary.
tomato soup
1/təmˈeɪtoʊ sˈup/
fixed phrase
soup made from tomatoes
A warm, smooth soup that is made mainly from tomatoes.
Examples
- She opened a can of tomato soup for lunch.
- Grilled cheese and tomato soup is a popular combination.
- I like my tomato soup with a little cream on top.
tomato, tomahto
1/təmˈeɪtoʊ | tˈoʊməhtoʊ/
idiom
informal
small difference that does not matter
Said when two people use different words or pronunciations, but you think the difference is not important.
Examples
- "Is it a couch or a sofa?" "Tomato, tomahto—it’s the same thing."
- "You say schedule, I say schedule—tomato, tomahto," he joked.
- They argued about whether it was a sauce or a stew, but in the end it was just tomato, tomahto.
tomato sauce
1/təmˈeɪtoʊ sˈɔs/
fixed phrase
sauce made mainly from tomatoes
A thick red sauce made mostly from tomatoes, often used on pasta or pizza.
Examples
- We cooked pasta with a simple tomato sauce.
- We had spaghetti with tomato sauce for dinner.
- She spilled tomato sauce on her white shirt.
- She prefers tomato sauce to cream sauce on her pasta.
- Add some garlic and herbs to the tomato sauce to make it richer.