tommy
noun
tommy
1 American
[tom-ee]
/ ˈtɒm i /
noun
British.
-
tommies
plural
-
(sometimes initial capital letter) Tommy Atkins.
-
Slang. bread, especially brown bread, or rations, as formerly distributed to troops and workers.
tommy
British
/ ˈtɒmɪ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of tommy
First recorded in 1775–85; by shortening
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He wrote, "my friend is tommy mottola former head of sony I'd like him to be brought in to fix it".
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2026
The weapon in question was the tommy gun.
From National Geographic ● Jun. 14, 2016
Modern-day bandits in developed countries are far likelier to use keyboards than tommy guns, remotely siphoning millions from the comfort and safety of another country.
From Forbes ● Nov. 8, 2013
Central to the movie’s look, and feel, were those tommy guns, which the squad carried, but seldom actually used, in real life.
From New York Times ● Jan. 4, 2013
The national feeling of the tommy resolves itself into this—here he is.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
In August, I spoke with Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., as he made his way from the Capitol subway to his Senate office the day after El-Sayed’s primary win.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026
El-Sayed isn’t threatening; he doesn’t call Tommy a racist.
From Slate ● Oct. 19, 2026
Situation: In the third inning, and again in the fifth inning, Tommy Edman comes to bat with Miguel Rojas on first base, none out, and the Dodgers trailing, 1-0.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
Leaping high, six yards out, to nod in Tommy Conway's cross from the left wing, Will Lankshear notched his ninth goal in 12 games for Middlesbrough.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
“I don’t think Tommy Lasorda was the most open-minded individual. He was the manager of the Dodgers at the time.”
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
"The soldiers who once called each other Redcoats and Yankees became the Tommies and the GIs who together saved the free world," he said.
From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026
This is the second season in Division I for the Tommies, who joined the Summit League for most sports.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 17, 2023
The Tommies would then go from having the second-smallest basketball arena in the Summit League to the top half of the 10-team conference in capacity.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 17, 2023
If the Tommies beat Butler on Saturday, or if Davidson beats Dayton, they’ll win the title outright.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 17, 2022
Tommies came running from trenches all around when they heard the news and they gave him any amount of money if he’d let them boil water.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
Among the crocus, some gardeners find that Crocus tommasinianus, the so-called tommies, are less often disturbed.
From New York Times ● Jul. 15, 2020
I can never remember whether we're supposed to think the likes of our footballers would make useless tommies, or whether we're meant to sniff that that is all they really are.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 22, 2013
The predicament of Prime Minister Edward Heath's government last week recalled a World War I cartoon of two British tommies huddled miserably in a crater at the shell-scarred front.
From Time Magazine Archive
Jagan had to call in British tommies airflown from London to restore order.
From Time Magazine Archive
Chisels.—Chisels of various kinds, for chipping and cross-cutting; round-nosed, centering, set punches, tommies and drifts.
From Practical Mechanics for Boys by James Slough Zerbe
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