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tomfoolery

[tom-foo-luh-ree]
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noun, plural tom·fool·er·ies.
  1. foolish or silly behavior; tomfoolishness.
  2. a silly act, matter, or thing.
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Origin of tomfoolery

First recorded in 1805–15; tomfool + -ery

Synonyms

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1. foolishness, silliness, horseplay, monkeyshines.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for tomfoolery

Historical Examples

  • When is the carnival, and when does this piece of tomfoolery come off?

    The First Violin

    Jessie Fothergill

  • He liked Laurent on account of his tomfoolery, which made him laugh.

    Therese Raquin

    Emile Zola

  • We don't want this tomfoolery, nor to be treated like children.

    Ireland as It Is

    Robert John Buckley (AKA R.J.B.)

  • A man must be a glutton for tomfoolery if he could not be satisfied with that.'

    Lord Kilgobbin

    Charles Lever

  • If you know anything, you can surely say it without all this tomfoolery.

British Dictionary definitions for tomfoolery

tomfoolery

noun plural -eries
  1. foolish behaviour
  2. utter nonsense; rubbish
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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

Word Origin and History for tomfoolery

n.

1812, from tomfool + -ery.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper