heirloom
noun
heir·loom
| \ ˈer-ˌlüm
\
\
Definition of heirloom
2
: something of special value handed down from one generation to another
The pin she's wearing is a family heirloom.
3
: a variety of plant that has originated under cultivation and that has survived for several generations usually due to the efforts of private individuals
heirloom tomatoes
Examples of heirloom in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Toss the vin and the beans together and spoon over sliced heirloom tomatoes that have been drizzled with salt, pepper, and oil. — Emily Schultz, Bon Appétit, "Now That I Know How To Cook Beans, I’m Making This Dish All The Time," 30 Aug. 2019 This bright and beautiful salad is filled with flavor, thanks to fresh heirloom tomatoes and a homemade bacon vinaigrette. — Taylor Murray, Country Living, "Tomato Salad With Bacon Vinaigrette," 5 Aug. 2019 Tomatoes of all kinds are appearing at almost every stand: cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, plump red slicing tomatoes. — Steve Edwards, Anchorage Daily News, "Try new local chocolate made from hand-ground beans," 1 Aug. 2019 The state’s hot-weather tomato crop found its way to Summer Toast, a millennial salutation with fresh ricotta cheese and a Bob Ross canvas of heirloom tomatoes. — Mike Sutter, ExpressNews.com, "Review: Kindling Texas Kitchen in Cibolo breaks the rules for Texas food," 1 Aug. 2019 Customers will see menu items like glazed Korean-style pork belly and grilled pineapple on flatbread with Wisconsin white cheddar and arugula, and a salad of various greens with heirloom tomatoes, baby carrots, radish and white balsamic vinaigrette. — Carol Deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "WhirlyBall will debut its first restaurant, the Pivot Room, at Brookfield Square," 24 July 2019 The burger is served on a brioche bun from Oakland’s Firebrand breads, and comes with roughly 2 ounces of Époisses (a soft cheese made from cow’s milk from the Burgundy region of France), a slice of heirloom tomato and onions. — Justin Phillips, SFChronicle.com, "New Silicon Valley restaurant opens with $50 burger," 24 July 2019 Enjoy as is, or drain and serve with sliced vine-ripe heirloom tomatoes drizzled with olive oil, sliced charcuterie and a flavorful, fairly salty cheese. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Quick pickling gives fresh veggies and fruit a tangy crunch in a day or less," 16 July 2019 Their battle escalates into a tussle over a family heirloom — a large hourglass — that breaks and magically transforms Ellie into Katharine, and vice versa. — Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, "An enjoyable tale of transformation in North Shore Music Theatre’s ‘Freaky Friday’," 15 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'heirloom.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for heirloom
heirloom
noun
English Language Learners Definition of heirloom
: a valuable object that is owned by a family for many years and passed from one generation to another
US
: an old type of plant that is still available because individual people have continued to grow it for many years
See the full definition for heirloom in the English Language Learners Dictionary
heirloom
noun
heir·loom
| \ ˈer-ˌlüm
\
\
Kids Definition of heirloom
: a piece of personal property handed down in a family from one generation to another
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