tomato
noun
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
Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2025
Using the back of a wooden spoon, smash the tomatoes and vegetables, mixing them well with the garlic to create a cream sauce.
—Jennifer Shanker, Flow Space, 25 Apr. 2025
Various cold foods kept in a cold top, including ranch dressing, tomatoes, cheese and egg wash, measured warmer than what is considered safe.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Food inspires art—like this opulent Loewe clutch designed to resemble a tomato and this cutlery that’s almost too beautiful to use—and of course, the inverse is also true: Art inspires food.
—The Bon Appétit and Epicurious Staffs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tomato
Cite this Entry
“Tomato.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tomato. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
derived from Spanish tomate "tomato," from the name for this plant in the ancient language of the Aztecs
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