tomatillo

to·ma·til·lo

 (tō′mə-tē′yō, -tēl′yō)

n. pl. to·ma·til·los

1. A ground cherry (Physalis philadelphica) native to Mexico but widely naturalized in eastern North America, having an edible, yellow to purple viscid fruit.

2. The fruit of this plant.

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[American Spanish, diminutive of tomate, tomato; see tomato.]

tomatillo

(tɒməˈtɪləʊ; -ˈtiːjəʊ)

n

1. (Plants) a solanaceous plant, Physalis ixocarpa, of South America

2. (Plants) the greenish-purple fruit of this plant that is a staple in Mexican cuisine. Also called: green tomato

to•ma•til•lo

(ˌtoʊ məˈti oʊ, -ˈtil yoʊ)

n., pl. -loes, -los.

a plant of Mexico and the southern U.S., Physalis ixocarpa, of the nightshade family, one variety of which produces a small, green, tomatolike fruit used in cooking.

[1910–15; < Sp, diminutive of tomate tomato]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	tomatillo - Mexican annual naturalized in eastern North America having yellow to purple edible fruit resembling small tomatoes jamberry, miltomate, Physalis philadelphica, purple ground cherry ground cherry, husk tomato - any of numerous cosmopolitan annual or perennial herbs of the genus Physalis bearing edible fleshy berries enclosed in a bladderlike husk; some cultivated for their flowers
	2.	tomatillo - annual of Mexico and southern United States having edible purplish viscid fruit resembling small tomatoes Mexican husk tomato, Physalis ixocarpa, jamberry husk tomato, Mexican husk tomato, tomatillo - small edible yellow to purple tomato-like fruit enclosed in a bladderlike husk ground cherry, husk tomato - any of numerous cosmopolitan annual or perennial herbs of the genus Physalis bearing edible fleshy berries enclosed in a bladderlike husk; some cultivated for their flowers
	3.	tomatillo - small edible yellow to purple tomato-like fruit enclosed in a bladderlike husk husk tomato, Mexican husk tomato solanaceous vegetable - any of several fruits of plants of the family Solanaceae; especially of the genera Solanum, Capsicum, and Lycopersicon Mexican husk tomato, Physalis ixocarpa, tomatillo, jamberry - annual of Mexico and southern United States having edible purplish viscid fruit resembling small tomatoes