cherry tomato
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun 1. A small, round tomato, typically red or yellow, that is often sweeter than larger tomato varieties and is commonly eaten whole in salads or as a snack. 2. The plant (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) that produces these small tomatoes.
Usage and Examples
- As a type of tomato: The term is used to specify the small, cherry-sized variety of tomato.
- I added some cherry tomatoes to the salad for color and sweetness.
- She snacked on a bowl of sweet cherry tomatoes.
- Referring to the plant: It is used to describe the specific plant that bears this fruit.
- We are growing a cherry tomato plant on the balcony this summer.
- The cherry tomato vines are heavy with fruit.
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in its plural form ("cherry tomatoes") when referring to the fruit as an ingredient or food item.
- It can be used attributively (like an adjective) to describe other nouns, such as "cherry tomato plant," "cherry tomato salad," or "cherry tomato variety."
Variants and Related Words
- Grape tomato: A similar small, oblong tomato variety, often with a thicker skin and less water content than a cherry tomato.
- Cocktail tomato: A term sometimes used for tomatoes slightly larger than cherry tomatoes.
- Heirloom tomato: A tomato variety grown from seeds passed down through generations, which can include heirloom cherry tomato types.
Synonyms
- Small tomato
- Salad tomato (when used in a general sense for small varieties)
Different Meanings
- The term has a specific botanical and culinary meaning and is not typically used idiomatically or with metaphorical meanings. It refers concretely to the fruit or its plant.
Noun
- small red to yellow tomatoes
- plant bearing small red to yellow fruit