tummy
Americannoun
-
tummies
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of tummy
First recorded in 1865–70; nursery alteration of stomach
Explanation
Tummy is an informal shorthand for stomach. This word is mainly used for talking to little kids: "Aw, do you have a tummy ache?" You wouldn't use the word tummy in your human anatomy class, but you might use it when you babysit your two-year-old niece. Infants sometimes have "tummy time," a short period when they are turned onto their stomachs so they can develop their neck and shoulder muscles. Tummy has been in use since the 19th century, and experts guess that it comes from a childish pronunciation of stomach.
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:
The researchers, from Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, said it was "extremely exciting" to have a non-invasive method to treat the condition, without the need to put a needle or telescope into the mother's tummy.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
There was a collective swoon when news came through on Thursday that McTominay, the totem, had an iffy tummy, but he's good now.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
The medical term for my ailment is an asymmetrical gluteal cleft, though requests to fix it are far less common than those to eliminate cellulite, flatten the tummy, or augment the breasts.
From Slate ● Feb. 22, 2026
“They do know when someone someone’s ill, right?” he said to no one before scratching Penny’s tummy and cooing, “You know I’m ill, right? I’m ill!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2025
“As surely true as the sun a-coming up,” says the woman, having succeeded in getting Manchee on his back for a tummy rub.
From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness
Australia are the favourites here, but this was a baring of teeth - the Proteas are not going to roll over and have their tummies tickled.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2025
Carbonated beverages in general, after all, tend to be good for tummies.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 14, 2023
“There are grandparents who in their day were told to put their babies to sleep on their tummies, and they may be influencing the decisions parents are making.”
From Washington Post ● Apr. 10, 2022
There is nothing wrong with placing healthy babies on their tummies to play, but on the back appears to be the safest position for sleeping.
From Salon ● Nov. 28, 2018
It was also Jacque who told me that children didn’t come out of their mother’s tummies.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
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.
