from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Tomato \To*ma"to\, n.; pl. {Tomatoes}. [Sp. or Pg. tomate, of
American Indian origin; cf. Mexican tomail.] (Bot.)
The fruit of a plant of the Nightshade family ({Lycopersicum
esculentun}); also, the plant itself. The fruit, which is
called also {love apple}, is usually of a rounded, flattened
form, but often irregular in shape. It is of a bright red or
yellow color, and is eaten either cooked or uncooked.
[1913 Webster]
{Tomato gall} (Zool.), a large gall consisting of a mass of
irregular swellings on the stems and leaves of grapevines.
They are yellowish green, somewhat tinged with red, and
produced by the larva of a small two-winged fly
({Lasioptera vitis}).
{Tomato sphinx} (Zool.), the adult or imago of the {tomato
worm}. It closely resembles the tobacco hawk moth. Called
also {tomato hawk moth}. See Illust. of {Hawk moth}.
{Tomato worm} (Zool.), the larva of a large hawk moth
({Manduca quinquemaculata}, {Protoparce quinquemaculata},
{Sphinx quinquemaculata}, or {Macrosila quinquemaculata})
which feeds upon the leaves of the tomato and potato
plants, often doing considerable damage. Called also
{tomato hornworm} and {potato worm}, and in the Southern
U. S. {tobacco fly}.
[1913 Webster +PJC]