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

1. small red to yellow tomatoes
2. plant bearing small red to yellow fruit