Yes, tomato's ARE actually a fruit.

But really!?

I'll keep calling it in nice round powers of two, thank you very much.

simondotau 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

Even more weirdly, pumpkins are berries. But that’s a botanical definition. In the kitchen they (and tomatoes) are classified as vegetables.

	▲	KellyCriterion a day ago \| parent [-]
		Same with cucumbers and a lot more "plants" :-)

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assimpleaspossi a day ago | parent | prev [-]

Yes. Tomatoes are a fruit because the science says so. That non-scientific people call it something else does not change facts.

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TonyStr a day ago | parent | next [-]

Depends if you're using the botanical definition or the (more common) culinary definition[0].

I would argue fruit and fruit are two words, one created semasiologically and the other created onomasiologically. Had we chosen a different pronunciation for one of those words, there would be no confusion about what fruits are.

[0] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit#Botanical_vs._culinary

	▲	D-Machine 12 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Yup. Though rather than say "fruit and fruit" are two words, or focusing on "definitions" (which tend to morph over time anyway), I think the more straightforward and typical approach is to just recognize that the same word can have different meanings in different contexts. This is such a basic and universal part of language, it is a mystery to me why something so transparently clueless as "actually, tomato is a fruit" persists.

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account42 a day ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Definitions that don't reflect peoples usage are not very useful definition.

	▲	worthless-trash 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Just because someone is wrong doesn't mean we need to reinforce their error.

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whobre a day ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Context matters…

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deadwanderer a day ago | parent | prev [-]

Knowledge is understanding that tomatoes are a fruit. Wisdom is understanding that they don't belong in a fruit salad.

Or...

Knowledge is understanding that ketchup is tomato jelly. Wisdom is refraining from putting it on your peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

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happymellon a day ago | parent [-]

> Knowledge is understanding that ketchup is tomato jelly

How is it a jelly? It lacks any defining feature of jelly.

	▲	D-Machine 12 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I mean, a jelly is just broadly any thickened sweet goop (doesn't even have to be fruit, and is often allowed to have some savoury/umami, e.g. mint jelly or red pepper jelly). Usually a jelly also is relatively clear and translucent, as it is made with puree / concentrate strained to remove large fibers, but this isn't really a strict requirement, and the amount of straining / translucency is generally just a matter of degree. There are opaque jellies out there, and jellies with bits and pieces. Ketchup has essentially all the key defining features of a jelly, technically, just is more fibrous / opaque and savoury than most typical jellies. But, of course, calling a ketchup "jelly", due to such technical arguments, is exactly as dumb as saying "ayktually, tomato is a fruit": both are utterly clueless to how these words are actually used in culinary contexts.