tome

¹ American  

[tohm] / toʊm /

noun

1. a book, especially a very heavy, large, or learned book.

2. a volume forming a part of a larger work.

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-tome ² American  

1. a combining form with the meanings “cutting instrument” (microtome; osteotome ), “segment, somite” (sclerotome ), used in the formation of compound words.

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tome ¹ British  

/ təʊm /

noun

1. a large weighty book

2. one of the several volumes of a work

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-tome ² British  

combining form

1. indicating an instrument for cutting

   osteotome

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Usage

What does -tome mean? The combining form -tome is used like a suffix to mean “cutting instrument” as well as a “segment, somite.” A somite is a scientific term designating body segments in animals like worms or segments of a developing embryo.The form -tome is used in some scientific and medical terms, especially in anatomy and surgery. It comes from the Greek tomḗ, meaning “a cutting,” and tómos, “a cut, slice.”The Greek root tómos, which can also mean “piece, roll of paper, or book,” is also the source of the word tome. Crack open the history of tome at our entry for the word. Also related to tómos is atom. What’s the big idea behind atoms and cutting? Find out in our Origin section for this term.Related to -tome are the combining forms -ectomy, -tomous, -tomy, and tomo-. Slice into their specific meanings at our Words That Use articles for the forms.

Etymology

Origin of tome¹

First recorded in 1510–20; from French, from Latin tomus, from Greek tómos “slice, piece, roll of paper, book,” akin to témnein “to cut”

Origin of -tome²

Combining form representing Greek tomḗ a cutting; tómos a cut, slice; -tomon (neuter), -tomos (masculine) -cutting (adj.)

Example Sentences

It’s a peculiarly hefty tome if you buy Sellers’s own oft-repeated claim that he had no personality of his own.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

But what I found when I dug into the nearly 500-page tome is that we never should have listened to Attia in the first place.

From Slate • Feb. 26, 2026

Federline responds to the stories and accusations that Spears tells in her 2023 tome, in which she describes being financially and emotionally controlled by those closest to her.

From BBC • Oct. 24, 2025

But it’s Gaffin’s candid memories of the family and romantic struggles that dovetailed with her career that lend the tome a weightier, more personal touch.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025

Rafik lay on his bed reading a recently arrived tome of Star Trek wisdom, the Vulcan dictionary.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye

Related Words

• magnum opus
• novel
• opus
• publication
• reference book
• textbook