tom-tom

[ tom-tom ]

/ ˈtɒmˌtɒm /

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noun

a drum of American Indian or Asian origin, commonly played with the hands.

a dully repetitious drumbeat or similar sound.

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Also tam-tam.

Origin of tom-tom

First recorded in 1685–95, tom-tom is from the Hindi word ṭamṭam

Words nearby tom-tom

Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of, Tomsk, tomtate, Tom Thumb, tomtit, tom-tom, -tomy, to my mind, ton, tonal, tonalist

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tom-tom in a sentence

Tom Brady, the prettiest of pretty boys, leads the Patriots.
‘A Gronking to Remember’ Speed Read: 8 Naughtiest Bits|Emily Shire|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There, many minority parents supported Tom Torklarson, who favored the education reform agenda.
How Public Sector Unions Divide the Democrats|Daniel DiSalvo|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Tom Rust, a spokesman for the House Ethics Committee, declined to comment to The Daily Beast.
The Felon Who Wouldn’t Leave Congress|Ben Jacobs, David Freedlander|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Retired Det. Tom Nerney, formerly of the NYPD Major Case Squad, investigated Shakur.
Cuba Protects America’s Most Wanted|Michael Daly|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Tom Cotton credits Harvard as the place where he “discovered political philosophy as a way of life.”
Harvard’s Conservative Cabal Takes Congress|Patricia Murphy|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Tom—I felt out of myself in a way—as though I'd escaped—into—into quite different conditions——'
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
The conflict in Tom's puzzled heart sharpened that evening into dreadful edges that cut him mercilessly whichever way he turned.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
She gave details of the singular mood that had come upon her with the arrival of Tony, but Tom hardly heard her.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
Then, inexplicably, he shifted to the other side that the old, the normal Tom presented generously to the new.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
Tom lingered a few minutes, watching them pass along the verandah to the room beyond.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood

British Dictionary definitions for tom-tom

tom-tom

noun

a drum associated either with the American Indians or with Eastern cultures, usually beaten with the hands as a signalling instrument

a standard cylindrical drum, normally with one drumhead

a monotonous drumming or beating sound

verb -toms, -tomming or -tommed

(tr) informal to pass (information, esp gossip) around a community very quickly

Word Origin for tom-tom

C17: from Hindi tamtam, of imitative origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012