Definition

Noun: 1. A variety of cherry tomato, typically oval or egg-shaped like a plum, that is valued for its firm flesh, lower moisture content, and fewer seeds, making it particularly suitable for cooking, sauces, and canning. 2. The specific fruit of this plant.

Usage and Examples

• As a subject: "The plum tomato is ideal for making a thick, rich pasta sauce."
• As an object: "For this recipe, you should use canned plum tomatoes."
• With modifiers: "He grows sweet, flavorful plum tomatoes in his garden every summer."

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in culinary contexts to specify the type of tomato recommended for a dish where texture and consistency are important, distinguishing it from beefsteak or standard round tomatoes.
• In gardening and agriculture, it refers to a specific cultivar known for its distinctive shape and culinary properties.

Variants and Related Words

• Roma tomato: A very common and popular cultivar of plum tomato. While all Roma tomatoes are plum tomatoes, not all plum tomatoes are Romas. "Roma" is often used interchangeably with "plum tomato" in general cooking.
• Paste tomato: A broader category that includes plum tomatoes and other varieties specifically cultivated for making tomato paste and sauce due to their dense, meaty flesh.
• Cherry tomato: The broader category to which plum tomatoes belong. Plum tomatoes are a type of cherry tomato.

Synonyms

• Processing tomato (in an agricultural/industrial context)
• Sauce tomato (in a general culinary context)

Different Meanings

• The term refers exclusively to a type of tomato. It does not describe a plum that tastes like a tomato or any other hybrid fruit.

Idioms and Phrases

• There are no common idioms or phrasal verbs specifically using "plum tomato." It is used literally to describe the fruit.

Noun

1. a kind of cherry tomato that is frequently used in cooking rather than eaten raw
2. an Italian variety of cherry tomato that is shaped like a plum