tom
noun
the male of various animals, as the turkey.
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tom
1 American
[tom]
/ tɒm /
noun
-
toms
plural
-
the male of various animals, as the turkey.
-
a tomcat.
Tom
2
American
[tom]
/ tɒm /
ToM
3
American
Or
TOM
abbreviation
tom
1
British
/ tɒm /
noun
tom
2
British
/ tɒm /
noun
Tom
Idioms
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of tom
First recorded in 1755–65; generic use of the male given name Tom
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:
You know John Bonham’s tom fills when you hear them, just as you can immediately recognize the sound of Ringo Starr’s hi-hats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2025
It also shines in fish stews and soups of all kinds, from cacciucco to tom kha gai to cioppino or caldeirada.
From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2025
During concerts, Carlos Niño may set up a bass drum and a floor tom, but his percussion is far from conventional.
From New York Times ● May 13, 2024
The menu is a wide range of Thai classics: larb gai, pad thai, tom yum soup and more.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 3, 2024
He might weed your garden or use the bricks from the building that was tom down up the block to make you a brick path between your rows.
From "Seedfolks" by Paul Fleischman
He’s already preparing for one of his biggest opportunities: “Days of Thunder 2” with Tom Cruise slated to premiere in 2028.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
It was Stafford’s 40th fourth-quarter comeback victory, leaving the 18th-year pro one shy of tying Ben Roethlisberger for third on the all-time list behind Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
Jost compared Trump’s expectations to believing he might win an Oscar for *Tom & Jerry*.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
Australia were looking for their first win at Eden Park since 1986 and went ahead after controlling the early stages through full-back Tom Wright's try.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
“Professor Devine, this is my dad, Tom, and my friends, Sookie and Mr. Patterson.”
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
But is it possible to hold a full ToM along with a complete recognition of reality?
From Salon ● May 25, 2013
The ideal situation, therefore, would be to relish and use both our full ToM as well as our ability to deny reality, allowing us optimism.
From Salon ● May 25, 2013
"The big impact is on breeding, especially for toms," Dr. Alan Krakauer, a biologist at the University of California – Davis, told Salon by email.
From Salon ● Nov. 25, 2022
Frozen inventories of whole toms, which generally weigh 16-24 pounds at the store, were down 17%.
From Reuters ● Nov. 16, 2022
Piercing toms and stabby organs take a perfect vocal hook into even more exalted territory.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2022
The Presidential Flock are usually toms – males – because of their traditional appearance, strut and gobbling sounds, according to Williams.
From Fox News ● Nov. 19, 2018
As I gradually got louder, I started flicking little quick shots at the high toms.
From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
