tomatillo

[ toh-muh-tee-oh, -teel-yoh ]

noun

, plural to·ma·til·loes, to·ma·til·los.

1. a plant, Physalis ixocarpa, of the nightshade family, native to Mexico, having yellow flowers with five blackish spots in the throat and bluish, sticky berries in a purple-veined calyx.

tomatillo

/ tɒməˈtɪləʊ; -ˈtiːjəʊ /

noun

1. a solanaceous plant, Physalis ixocarpa , of South America
2. the greenish-purple fruit of this plant that is a staple in Mexican cuisine Also calledgreen tomato

Word History and Origins

Origin of tomatillo¹

1910–15; < Spanish, diminutive of tomate tomato

Example Sentences

It includes breakfast sandwiches with slight uplifts - one comes with avocado and tomatillo along with egg and sausage - desserts such as filled donut-like pastries called McPops, and snacks including pretzel bites.

From BBC

To give Salon Food readers a peek into how she celebrates, Jinich has shared two recipes that she'll be serving this year: a Mushroom-Jalapeno Matzo Ball Soup and Brisket in Pasilla Chile and Tomatillo Sauce.

From Salon

Chalupas are small Mexican antojitos made of tortilla, green tomatillo sauce, chicken or beef.

From Salon

On the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and in the lush mountains, pozole is often green — seasoned with a salsa of roasted poblanos, spinach, cilantro and tomatillo.

From Salon

On their last mission together, Searcher spots a plant that’s like a type of electrified tomatillo; he elects to take the plant and return home, while Jaeger continues on.

From Washington Post