1630–40; perhaps back formation from obsolete French tamise kind of glossy cloth (taken as plural)
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A gidget is very much like a tammy.
From Time Magazine Archive
Put in the fish, but do not let the soup boil, after it has been rubbed through the tammy.
From The Book of Household Management by Beeton, Mrs. (Isabella Mary)
Rub it through a tammy, put it back into the stewpan, but do not let it boil.
From The Book of Household Management by Beeton, Mrs. (Isabella Mary)
When done, rub it through a tammy, and add it to the soup.
From The Book of Household Management by Beeton, Mrs. (Isabella Mary)
If, however, it happens to curdle, strain the sauce through a tammy, add the lemon-juice, and serve.
From The Book of Household Management by Beeton, Mrs. (Isabella Mary)
He even was part of the team that saved Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an anecdote that took off during his campaign.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
It helped England bowl India out for 285, before they lost Tammy Beaumont in reply to close on 21-1.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
"Tammy has made a remarkable contribution to the England Women's cricket team and we will miss her incredibly," said Clare Connor, Managing Director of England Women.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
That control is beginning to carry real value, said Tammy Brandt, CAA’s deputy general counsel, who said she is seeing more deals that involve digital likeness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
Ms. Tammy takes the recliner that Ms. Rosalie usually sits in.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
“Oh, do you?” said the vicar, wondering whether there was any connection between temse and tammies or tammy cloth.
From The Parson O' Dumford by Fenn, George Manville
We are not told the prices of tammies or durants, romals or molletons, cades or shalloons, but we are always carefully informed that they may be had at the lowest prices.
From Picturesque Quebec : a sequel to Quebec past and present by Le Moine, J. M. (James MacPherson), Sir
Hunting, hunting, high and low, Where do the caps and "tammies" go?
From A Jolly Jingle-Book by Chandler, Laura
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
