Tomatoes are a fruit....or are they a vegetable?

Tomatoes have been classified as both vegetables and fruits, and I'm sure this classification has even been the source of at least one or two heated arguments. So you'll be happy to know that just like in elementary school, everyone is right. The term "fruit" is a botanical term, the seed-containing ovaries of a flowering plant, and by definition this would include tomatoes. The term "vegetable' however is a culinary term, and lacks a scientific definition and is instead, defined loosely by the culture of food. For example, plants which are most commonly used in soups, salads, or as side dishes to main course are typically considered vegetables. As as result vegetables have come to include things like tomatoes (fruit), corn (grain) and mushrooms (fungus, not even a plant). So you see the two terms are not mutually exclusive, so tomatoes can be referred to as both fruits and vegetables.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomatoes#Fruit_or_vegetable.3F