tomato can

noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"tomato-can" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tomato can” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An inferior fighter in the sport of boxing. The insinuation is that an up-and-coming fighter takes on a "tomato can" to burnish his reputation and record.

Key facts for tomato can
PropertyValue
Headwordtomato can
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tomato can” sits in English frequency

tomato can falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

tomato can is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for tomato can, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Presumably because of tendency to bleed when battered, tomato juice leaking from a can being a metaphor for bleeding. The correct English form is tomato can, spelled T-O-M-A-T-O- -C-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An inferior fighter in the sport of boxing. The insinuation is that an up-and-coming fighter takes on a "tomato can" to burnish his reputation and record.
  2. 2
    By extension, an opponent who presents little challenge.
  3. 3
    A boxer who takes a dive, or loses a fight on purpose.

Etymology

Presumably because of tendency to bleed when battered, tomato juice leaking from a can being a metaphor for bleeding.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "tomato can"?
"tomato can" is spelled T-O-M-A-T-O- -C-A-N.
What does "tomato can" mean?
As a noun, "tomato can" means: An inferior fighter in the sport of boxing. The insinuation is that an up-and-coming fighter takes on a "tomato can" to burnish his reputation and record.
What is the origin of the word "tomato can"?
Presumably because of tendency to bleed when battered, tomato juice leaking from a can being a metaphor for bleeding. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “tomato can”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is T-O-M-A-T-O- -C-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list