Tom o'Bedlam
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of Tom o'Bedlam
First recorded in 1595–1605; used of a beggar assumed to be a former inmate of Bedlam ( def. ), popular name for an insane asylum in London
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.
It was a rhapsody; he was as happy as Tom o'Bedlam.
From Harlequin and Columbine by Tarkington, Booth
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.
