Tom Thumb
Americannoun
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a diminutive hero of folk tales.
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an extremely small person; dwarf.
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General, nickname of Charles Sherwood Stratton.
noun
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General, stage name of Charles Stratton. 1838–83, US midget, exhibited in P. T. Barnum's circus
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a dwarf; midget
Etymology
Origin of Tom Thumb
after Tom Thumb, the tiny hero of several English folk tales
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.
Ishika Santosh Wade did most of her grocery shopping at Texas supermarket chain Tom Thumb, owned by Albertsons, until inflation soared in 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026
Tom Thumb: Most stores will have adjusted hours.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 20, 2023
Tom Thumb, Chang and Eng, even animal acts like Jumbo the elephant.
From Washington Post • Oct. 18, 2019
My heart broke for Haydon, especially since I know, with zero doubt, that if given the choice, I’d have gone to see Tom Thumb.
From New York Times • Jul. 26, 2018
We have said that the Murray is the Mississippi of Australia, but it is no more like that great Father of Waters than Tom Thumb is like Hercules.
From Under the Southern Cross or Travels in Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Samoa, and Other Pacific Islands by Ballou, Maturin Murray
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.
