Results for “is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable supreme court” · retrieved September 20, 2026
In the 1893 case Nix v. Hedden, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that tomatoes are legally classified as vegetables for customs and tariff purposes.
In the 1893 case Nix v. Hedden, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that tomatoes should be classified as vegetables rather than fruits for the purposes of customs and trade. The Court acknowledged that tomatoes are botanically fruits, but determined that they should be classified according to their ordinary, common usage as food—specifically, that they are served at dinner as part of a main meal rather than as a dessert. This decision allowed the government to continue collecting a 10 percent tariff on imported tomatoes, which were taxed as vegetables at the time.
Answer details
Botanical vs. Common Usage
The Court recognized that tomatoes are botanically fruits but held that the law should reflect the common, everyday understanding of the word.
Tariff Dispute
The case arose because imported vegetables were subject to a 10 percent tariff, while fruits were not, leading importers to argue that tomatoes should be classified as tax-exempt fruit.
Culinary Definition
The Court defined vegetables as foods typically served at dinner with or after soup, fish, or meats, whereas fruits are generally served as dessert.
Sources 8
About this answerNIX et al. v. HEDDEN, Collector. | Supreme Court | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute
Statement by Mr. Justice GRAY: This was an action brought February 4, 1887, against the collector of the port of New York to recover back duties paid under protest on tomatoes imported by the plaintiff from the West Indies in the spring of 1886, which the collector assessed under 'Schedule G.—Provisions,' of the tariff act of March 3, 1883, (chapter 121,) imposing a duty on 'vegetables in their natural state, or in salt or brine, not specially en
Publication date not supplied
Nix v. Hedden | 149 U.S. 304 (1893)
SyllabusThe court takes judicial notice of the ordinary meaning of allwords in our tongue, and dictionaries are admitted not as evidence,but only as aids to the memory and understanding of the court....Tomatoes are "vegetables," and not "fruit," within the meaningof the Tariff Act of March 3, 1883, c. 121....Tomatoes are "vegetables," and not "fruit," within the meaningof the Tariff Act of March 3, 1883, c. 121....The single question in this
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NIX v. HEDDEN.
Tomatoes are “vegetables” and not “fruit,” within the meaning of the Tariff Act of March 3, 1883, c. 121....305This was an action...brought February 4...1887, against the...to recover back...19....The single question in this case is whether tomatoes, considered as provisions, are to be classed as "vegetables" or as "fruit," within the meaning of the Tariff Act of 1883....The passages cited from the dictionaries define the word "fruit" as the seed
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The obscure Supreme Court case that decided tomatoes are vegetables - The Washington Post
(The Washington Post)Analysis by Caitlin DeweyIt’s a question used to trick schoolkids the nation over: Is the tomato actually a fruit or a vegetable?Botanically, it’s a fruit. But legally, it’s not.Subscribe for unlimited access to The PostSave on unmatched reporting.Get your first year for $2 every four weeks...And the origins of that discrepancy lie in a 19th-century Supreme Court case so obscure, many tomato experts aren’t even aware of i
October 18, 2017
Nix v. Hedden
Nix v. Hedden is a classic of staturoy interpretation. It presents the court squarely with the age-old question in life and law: is the tomato a fruit or a vegetable?...The single question in this case is whether tomatoes, considered as provisions, are to be classed as "vegetables" or as "fruit," within the meaning of the Tariff Act of 1883....The passages cited from the dictionaries define the word "fruit" as the seed of plants, or that part of
Publication date not supplied
Nix v. Hedden
| Nix v. Hedden | || --- | --- || Supreme Court of the United States | || Submitted April 24, 1892 Decided May 10, 1893 | || Full case name | John Nix, John W. Nix, George W. Nix, and Frank W. Nix v. Edward L. Hedden, Collector of the Port of New York || Citations | 149 U.S. 304 (more) 13 S. Ct. 981; 37 L. Ed. 745; 1893 U.S. LEXIS 2303 || Case history | || Prior | Judgment for defendant, 39 F. 109 (C.C. S.D.N.Y. 1889) || Subsequent | None || Hold
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Tomatoes Have Legally Been Vegetables Since 1893
In all the ways that matter to most consumers, tomatoes are not fruit. That was the opinion of Supreme Court Justice Horace Gray, released on this day in 1893....“Botanically speaking, tomatoes are the fruit of the vine, just as are cucumbers, squashes, beans and peas,” he wrote. Score one for that irritating person we all know who insists that tomatoes are properly a fruit....But he didn’t stop there: “In the common language of the people, wheth
May 10, 2017
When The Supreme Court Decided Tomatoes Were ...
In the 19th century, the U.S. Supreme Court faced a similarly ridiculous question: Are tomatoes fruits or vegetables?...At the time the Port Authority of New York classified tomatoes as vegetables, which were subject to a 10 percent import tax....A fruit importer argued that tomatoes were fruits, which were not taxed....In the case, witnesses read from dictionaries, and definitions for "fruit" and "vegetable" were read in court. Also definitions
December 26, 2013
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