Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Physalis ixocarpa

Physalis ixocarpa

9.9
A small plant from Mexico that produces edible green fruits like small tomatoes inside a thin paper husk
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : tomate de cáscara
  • In Mexican cuisine, Physalis ixocarpa is often used to make green sauces and salsas.

Examples

  • The sticky husk around the fruit of Physalis ixocarpa must be removed before cooking.

  • Gardeners in the southern United States sometimes grow Physalis ixocarpa for its edible fruits.

  • I bought some Physalis ixocarpa at the farmers' market.

  • Have you ever tried Physalis ixocarpa in a salsa?

  • Many people enjoy adding Physalis ixocarpa to their dishes for a fresh and tangy flavor.

  • The shop sells Physalis ixocarpa, which can be used in a variety of recipes including salsas.

  • When cooking with Physalis ixocarpa, make sure to wash the fruit thoroughly due to its sticky coating.

Synonyms

tomatillo
vsPhysalis ixocarpa
2 7.6

A small round green fruit with a thin papery husk used in Mexican cooking and the plant that grows it

is the scientific species name for the same plant rather than the common name
Mexican husk tomato
vsPhysalis ixocarpa
  • US
6.6

A plant that produces small edible fruits like tiny tomatoes inside a dry papery husk

is the technical species name rather than a cooking or common term

Surface Forms

Physalis ixocarpa singular
Physalis ixocarpae plural

Morphology

Physalis + ixocarpa

This is a Latin binomial (genus + species) used as a scientific name, not a normal English phrase whose meaning can be derived compositionally. A B1 learner who knows 'Physalis' (if they even know it) and not the opaque epithet 'ixocarpa' would not be able to infer that it refers to the tomatillo (an edible purple/sticky fruit), so the meaning is not predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Physalis ixocarpa comes from old Greek words that describe the plant: Physalis means 'bag' because of the thin paper husk that looks like a little bag around the fruit, and ixocarpa means 'sticky fruit'. So the name helps you remember the tomatillo's paper husk and sticky fruit.