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tommy

1 American  
[tom-ee] / ˈtɒm i /

noun

British.

plural

tommies
  1. (sometimes initial capital letter) Tommy Atkins.

  2. Slang. bread, especially brown bread, or rations, as formerly distributed to troops and workers.


Tommy 2 American  
[tom-ee] / ˈtɒm i /

noun

  1. a male given name, form of Thomas.

  2. Also Tommie, Tommye. a female given name, form of Thomasina.


tommy British  
/ ˈtɒmɪ /

noun

  1. Also called: Tommy Atkinsinformal (often capital) a private in the British Army

"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

Etymology

Origin of tommy

First recorded in 1775–85; by shortening

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.

He wrote, "my friend is tommy mottola former head of sony I'd like him to be brought in to fix it".

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

And a handful of states even banned semiautomatic firearms, which, unlike the tommy gun, require a shooter to pull the trigger for every round fired.

From National Geographic • Jun. 14, 2016

Modern-day bandits in developed countries are far likelier to use keyboards than tommy guns, remotely siphoning millions from the comfort and safety of another country.

From Forbes • Nov. 8, 2013

Central to the movie’s look, and feel, were those tommy guns, which the squad carried, but seldom actually used, in real life.

From New York Times • Jan. 4, 2013

The national feeling of the tommy resolves itself into this—here he is.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque