tommy
noun
tommy
1 American
[tom-ee]
/ ˈtɒm i /
noun
British.
tommies
plural
-
(sometimes initial capital letter) Tommy Atkins.
-
Slang. bread, especially brown bread, or rations, as formerly distributed to troops and workers.
tommy
British
/ ˈtɒmɪ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
In 2012, his account tweeted "@EDLTrobinson tommy Robinson for prime minister".
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2025
When crimes involving tommy guns began making headlines, many lawmakers wanted to restrict the machine gun's use to soldiers and law enforcement.
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
A classic tommy gun and an Appalachian copper still are on view.
From New York Times ● Nov. 19, 2010
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
Kerry clawed their way back and sat just two points down as they chased a late leveller, but they failed to strike before Tommy Conroy's score capped a famous win for Mayo.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
To put the final touches on the Dodgers’ offensive effort, Kyle Tucker hit a sacrifice fly and Tommy Edman hit a bases-clearing triple for a four-run Dodgers rally in the eighth inning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
"Don't worry about the dog, just answer the question," replied journalist Sarah Ferguson, who was grilling Joyce on his party leader Pauline Hanson's recent meeting with far-right British figurehead Tommy Robinson.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Tommy Freeman and Guy Pepper were sent to the sin-bin late on against the Springboks.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
“Your seat is right over there at table two. You’re with Natalie, Tommy, and Ryan. Being near the windows should give you some good reading light. That’s a great book you have there, Jessica.”
From "Because of Mr. Terupt" by Rob Buyea
"The soldiers who once called each other Redcoats and Yankees became the Tommies and the GIs who together saved the free world," he said.
From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026
The Tommies won the league championship in their second year as a Division I member.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 19, 2022
The PFL won’t make the Tommies wait, though.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 17, 2022
After going 7-3 overall in 2021, the Tommies avenged both of their conference losses from last year: San Diego and Davidson.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 17, 2022
The vast beach, the thousands waiting on it, and the sea empty of boats returned the Tommies to their predicament.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Among the crocus, some gardeners find that Crocus tommasinianus, the so-called tommies, are less often disturbed.
From New York Times ● Jul. 15, 2020
I can never remember whether we're supposed to think the likes of our footballers would make useless tommies, or whether we're meant to sniff that that is all they really are.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 22, 2013
In the past six months Britain has doubled her troop strength in Malaysia, to some 20,000, and British tommies are doing most of the actual fighting in the bitter little war.
From Time Magazine Archive
Eleven thousand tommies under General Sir Ian Freeland patrolled Belfast and Londonderry and enforced a strict nighttime curfew.
From Time Magazine Archive
There were tiger cats, Maltese cats, black-and-white cats, black cats and white cats, tommies and females, and his heart leaped to meet the pleading mews of all.
From The Copy-Cat and Other Stories by Freeman, Mary Eleanor Wilkins
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.
