tom
noun
the male of various animals, as the turkey.
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tom
1 American
[tom]
/ tɒm /
noun
toms
plural
-
the male of various animals, as the turkey.
-
a tomcat.
Tom
2
American
[tom]
/ tɒm /
ToM
3
American
Or
TOM
abbreviation
tom
1
British
/ tɒm /
noun
tom
2
British
/ tɒm /
noun
Tom
Idioms
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of tom
First recorded in 1755–65; generic use of the male given name Tom
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.
See Examples For:
You know John Bonham’s tom fills when you hear them, just as you can immediately recognize the sound of Ringo Starr’s hi-hats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2025
It also shines in fish stews and soups of all kinds, from cacciucco to tom kha gai to cioppino or caldeirada.
From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2025
Tiravanija’s early relational pieces — offering curry and tom ka soup, sodas and beers, grass mats and pillows for weary visitors — appeared as museums increasingly promoted the politics of multiculturalism.
From New York Times ● Dec. 21, 2023
Bush offered a public assurance, saying, “this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table.”
From Washington Times ● Nov. 21, 2023
She still planned to polish the banister poles with the strips she had tom from her quilts.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
"The Odyssey", which follows Greek hero Odysseus on his long journey home after the Trojan War, stars Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway as Odysseus and Penelope, with Tom Holland portraying their son Telemachus.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
When Tom Brady jumped to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he earned a higher annual salary than he had ever seen while leading the New England Patriots to six Super Bowls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
After Tom O'Sullivan's score, Beirne and Conroy struck to draw Mayo level, although a cleverly worked point from totemic Kingdom midfielder Joe O'Connor ensured Kerry held a slender advantage at the break.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
The latest installment of the Marvel’s arachnid superhero saga sees Tom Holland return as the central character alongside Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Mark Ruffalo, Jacob Batalon and Jon Bernthal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
The owner of Boston’s largest commercial construction company, Tom White, for whom Zanmi Lasante’s tuberculosis hospital had been named, had befriended Farmer from the start and ultimately gave several million dollars to PIH.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
But is it possible to hold a full ToM along with a complete recognition of reality?
From Salon ● May 25, 2013
The ideal situation, therefore, would be to relish and use both our full ToM as well as our ability to deny reality, allowing us optimism.
From Salon ● May 25, 2013
"The big impact is on breeding, especially for toms," Dr. Alan Krakauer, a biologist at the University of California – Davis, told Salon by email.
From Salon ● Nov. 25, 2022
He discovered that toms in a flock were anywhere from full to half-siblings.
From New York Times ● Nov. 21, 2022
Frozen inventories of whole toms, which generally weigh 16-24 pounds at the store, were down 17%.
From Reuters ● Nov. 16, 2022
Piercing toms and stabby organs take a perfect vocal hook into even more exalted territory.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2022
As I gradually got louder, I started flicking little quick shots at the high toms.
From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick
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.
