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Glite Dictionary
Lycopersicon esculentum

Lycopersicon esculentum

8.1
A plant that grows the tomatoes we eat
  • noun
  • /ˌlaɪkəˈpɜrsɪkən ˌɛskjʊˈlɛntəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Lycopersicon esculentum
  • Greenhouses often cultivate Lycopersicon esculentum for year-round tomato production.

Examples

  • Botanists studied the disease resistance of several Lycopersicon esculentum varieties.

  • The fruit of Lycopersicon esculentum is commonly used in salads and sauces.

  • The Lycopersicon esculentum is a popular plant in home gardens.

  • Did you know that Lycopersicon esculentum belongs to the nightshade family?

  • Many gardeners grow Lycopersicon esculentum in their backyards to enjoy fresh tomatoes.

  • In culinary dishes, Lycopersicon esculentum is often used for its juicy and flavorful fruit.

  • The name Lycopersicon esculentum refers to the cultivated tomato, a staple in many cuisines around the world.

Synonyms

tomato
vsLycopersicon esculentum
428 1.0

A juicy round fruit usually red, sometimes yellow, eaten raw or cooked

is the scientific name for the plant rather than the fruit itself
tomato plant
vsLycopersicon esculentum
4 1.0

A plant that grows red round fruits people eat

is the scientific name for the domesticated plant widely grown for its edible fruit
love apple
vsLycopersicon esculentum
  • Archaic
1 9.9

An old name for a tomato

is the scientific name used in taxonomy not the informal historic term

Surface Forms

Lycopersicon esculentum singular
Lycopersicon esculentums plural

Morphology

Lycopersicon + esculentum

This is a Latin scientific binomial made of taxonomic/Latin elements rather than everyday English words, and the constituents are not meaningful to an average B1 learner (the input even notes 'esculentum' is not found in the dictionary). Scientific names function as technical labels whose meaning ('domesticated tomato plant') is not transparently derivable from their parts, so learners who know the surface constituents would still not reliably infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Lycopersicon esculentum comes from old Greek and Latin words: Lycopersicon means 'wolf-peach' and esculentum means 'edible'. So the name gives the image of a wild 'wolf peach' you can eat, which is why it was used for the tomato plant people grow for food.