tom

noun

ˈtäm How to pronounce tom (audio)
1
: the male of various animals: such as
a
: tomcat
b
: a male turkey
2
Tom disparaging : uncle tom

Examples of tom in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Toms, Lindsay says, brushed off her concerns. — Sean Patrick Cooper, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025 So if a tom gobbles at one or two of your calls and then goes quiet, don’t be discouraged. — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 16 Apr. 2026 And their childhood friend Wesley Backer is on traps, banging on a 55-gallon rain barrel for a bass drum, buckets for the snare and toms, and sheet metal for cymbals. — Jessica Meszaros, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026 The 20th Anniversary Collection pays tribute to Toms’ roots, offering archival prints on modern styles and original silhouettes with enhanced comfort features. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 3 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tom

Word History

Etymology

Tom, nickname for Thomas

First Known Use

1762, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tom was in 1762

Phrases Containing tom

Rhymes for tom

See All Rhymes for tom

Browse Nearby Words

tolzey
tom
Tom'
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tom. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

tom

noun
ˈtäm How to pronounce tom (audio)
: the male of various animals: as
a
: tom cat
b
: a male turkey
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All