Tomatoes are considered a fruit botanically, but they are commonly referred to as a vegetable in culinary contexts. This is because they are used in savory dishes, such as salads, sauces, and soups, rather than sweet desserts like most other fruits. The confusion arises from the fact that the definition of a fruit is a ripened ovary of a flowering plant, while vegetables are other edible parts of plants, such as roots, leaves, and stems.