"Tom" meaning in English

See Tom in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Proper name

IPA: /tɒm/ [Received-Pronunciation], /tɑm/ [General-American] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Tom.wav [Southern-England]
Rhymes: -ɒm Etymology: Hypocorism of Thomas. Etymology templates: {{m|en|Thomas}} Thomas Head templates: {{en-proper noun}} Tom
  1. A diminutive of the male given name Thomas, also used as a formal male given name. Categories (topical): English diminutives of male given names, English given names, English male given names, Racism Translations (male diminutive): 湯姆 (Chinese Mandarin), 汤姆 (tāngmǔ) (Chinese Mandarin), Toms [masculine, transliteration] (Latvian), Tame (Maori)
    Sense id: en-Tom-en-name-Swk3JDaz Disambiguation of Racism: 47 15 8 4 26 Disambiguation of 'male diminutive': 95 5
  2. A nickname for a common man. Categories (topical): Personifications
    Sense id: en-Tom-en-name-j4~8Vc7I Disambiguation of Personifications: 27 39 4 1 29 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 19 44 2 3 32
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated

Proper name

IPA: /tɒm/ [Received-Pronunciation], /tɑm/ [General-American] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Tom.wav [Southern-England]
Rhymes: -ɒm Etymology: Possibly onomatopoeia, conflated with the given name, given the practice of giving objects such as Big Ben human names. Alternatively, it may derive from an inscription on the old bell used as metal to make the Great Tom of Oxford in 1680: In Thomæ laude resono bim bom sine fraude. Head templates: {{en-proper noun}} Tom
  1. A large, deep-toned bell, or a particularly notable example of one. Related terms: tom-tom
    Sense id: en-Tom-en-name-M0-XX1xN
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 3

Noun

IPA: /tɒm/ [Received-Pronunciation], /tɑm/ [General-American] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Tom.wav [Southern-England] Forms: Toms [plural]
Rhymes: -ɒm Etymology: Variant of TOM. Etymology templates: {{m|en|TOM}} TOM Head templates: {{en-noun}} Tom (plural Toms)
  1. (euphemistic, personification) Synonym of menstruation. Tags: euphemistic Synonyms: menstruation [synonym, synonym-of]
    Sense id: en-Tom-en-noun-sk0We0WA Categories (other): English euphemisms
  2. (uncommon) Ellipsis of Uncle Tom. Tags: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, uncommon Alternative form of: Uncle Tom Categories (topical): Menstruation Derived forms: curse of Tom
    Sense id: en-Tom-en-noun-ZpwxYkJb Disambiguation of Menstruation: 11 24 3 26 35
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for Tom meaning in English (8.8kB)

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "55 45",
      "word": "peeping tom"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "55 45",
      "word": "tom"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "55 45",
      "word": "Tom, Dick or Harry"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "55 45",
      "word": "Tom and Jerryish"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "55 45",
      "word": "tomboy"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "55 45",
      "word": "tomcat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "55 45",
      "word": "tomfoolery"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "55 45",
      "word": "Tom Green County"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "55 45",
      "word": "Tommy"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "55 45",
      "word": "tomnoddy"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "55 45",
      "word": "Toms River"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "55 45",
      "word": "Tom Tiddler's ground"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "55 45",
      "word": "Uncle Tom"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "tkl",
            "2": "Toma",
            "bor": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "→ Tokelauan: Toma",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "→ Tokelauan: Toma"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Thomas"
      },
      "expansion": "Thomas",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Hypocorism of Thomas.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "Tom",
      "name": "en-proper noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "name": "English diminutives of male given names",
          "parents": [
            "Diminutives of male given names",
            "Male given names",
            "Given names",
            "Diminutive nouns",
            "Names",
            "Nouns",
            "All topics",
            "Proper nouns",
            "Terms by semantic function",
            "Lemmas",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "name": "English given names",
          "parents": [
            "Given names",
            "Names",
            "All topics",
            "Proper nouns",
            "Terms by semantic function",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nouns",
            "Lemmas"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "name": "English male given names",
          "parents": [
            "Male given names",
            "Given names",
            "Names",
            "All topics",
            "Proper nouns",
            "Terms by semantic function",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nouns",
            "Lemmas"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "47 15 8 4 26",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Racism",
          "orig": "en:Racism",
          "parents": [
            "Forms of discrimination",
            "Discrimination",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1934, P. G. Wodehouse, Right Ho, Jeeves",
          "text": "What I'm worrying about is what Tom says when he starts talking.\"\n\"Uncle Tom?\"\n\"I wish there was something else you could call him except 'Uncle Tom',\" said Aunt Dahlia a little testily. \"Every time you do it, I expect to see him turn black and start playing the banjo.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, David Park, The Truth Commissioner, page 366",
          "text": "\"We're not sure - we were expecting a girl for some reason. But we're thinking of something simple like Tom.\"\n\"Thomas?\"\n\"No, just Tom.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A diminutive of the male given name Thomas, also used as a formal male given name."
      ],
      "id": "en-Tom-en-name-Swk3JDaz",
      "links": [
        [
          "diminutive",
          "diminutive"
        ],
        [
          "given name",
          "given name"
        ],
        [
          "Thomas",
          "Thomas#English"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "male diminutive",
          "word": "湯姆"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "tāngmǔ",
          "sense": "male diminutive",
          "word": "汤姆"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "lv",
          "lang": "Latvian",
          "sense": "male diminutive",
          "tags": [
            "masculine",
            "transliteration"
          ],
          "word": "Toms"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "male diminutive",
          "word": "Tame"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "19 44 2 3 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "27 39 4 1 29",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Personifications",
          "orig": "en:Personifications",
          "parents": [
            "Narratology",
            "Drama",
            "Literature",
            "Theater",
            "Culture",
            "Entertainment",
            "Writing",
            "Art",
            "Society",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Language",
            "All topics",
            "Human",
            "Communication",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A nickname for a common man."
      ],
      "id": "en-Tom-en-name-j4~8Vc7I"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/tɒm/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/tɑm/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɒm"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Tom.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/04/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/04/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Tom"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "TOM"
      },
      "expansion": "TOM",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Variant of TOM.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "Toms",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "Tom (plural Toms)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English euphemisms",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Sorry, maybe next week. Uncle Tom is visiting.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "Maybe later. Tom is in town.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of menstruation."
      ],
      "id": "en-Tom-en-noun-sk0We0WA",
      "links": [
        [
          "menstruation",
          "menstruation#English"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "personification",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(euphemistic, personification) Synonym of menstruation."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "menstruation"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "euphemistic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "Uncle Tom"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "11 24 3 26 35",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Menstruation",
          "orig": "en:Menstruation",
          "parents": [
            "Body",
            "Gynaecology",
            "Human",
            "Female",
            "Medicine",
            "All topics",
            "Gender",
            "Biology",
            "Sciences",
            "Fundamental",
            "Psychology",
            "Sociology",
            "Social sciences",
            "Society"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "word": "curse of Tom"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Ellipsis of Uncle Tom."
      ],
      "id": "en-Tom-en-noun-ZpwxYkJb",
      "links": [
        [
          "Uncle Tom",
          "Uncle Tom#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(uncommon) Ellipsis of Uncle Tom."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "ellipsis",
        "uncommon"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/tɒm/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/tɑm/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɒm"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Tom.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/04/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/04/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Tom"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 3,
  "etymology_text": "Possibly onomatopoeia, conflated with the given name, given the practice of giving objects such as Big Ben human names. Alternatively, it may derive from an inscription on the old bell used as metal to make the Great Tom of Oxford in 1680: In Thomæ laude resono bim bom sine fraude.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "Tom",
      "name": "en-proper noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1857, William Chambers, Robert Chambers, “Something about bells”, in Chambers's Journal, volume 28, number 207, page 398",
          "text": "They had a thick rim, and when struck with pieces of wood, gave out a tone deeper than that of some of the Great Toms renowned in belldom.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1857, “An earthquake in Honduras”, in Harper's Magazine",
          "text": "After these came innumerable little boys bearing little bells, which made little noises in comparison to the \"Big Tom\" that preceded them.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1825, Moncrieff, \"A Parish-Clerk was Johnny Bell\", The Universal Songster (in a song about a man who hangs himself in the bell tower)",
          "text": "And there little Johnny Bell hung dangling along with the great Tom bell, and all the rest of the bells."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1848, “The book auction of New York”, in The Literary World",
          "text": "The city [New York] does not know a better auctioneer; the celebrated Tom Bell not ringing clearer.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A large, deep-toned bell, or a particularly notable example of one."
      ],
      "id": "en-Tom-en-name-M0-XX1xN",
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "tom-tom"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/tɒm/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/tɑm/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɒm"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Tom.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/04/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/04/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Tom"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 1-syllable words",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English proper nouns",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Rhymes:English/ɒm",
    "Rhymes:English/ɒm/1 syllable",
    "en:Menstruation",
    "en:Personifications",
    "en:Racism"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "peeping tom"
    },
    {
      "word": "tom"
    },
    {
      "word": "Tom, Dick or Harry"
    },
    {
      "word": "Tom and Jerryish"
    },
    {
      "word": "tomboy"
    },
    {
      "word": "tomcat"
    },
    {
      "word": "tomfoolery"
    },
    {
      "word": "Tom Green County"
    },
    {
      "word": "Tommy"
    },
    {
      "word": "tomnoddy"
    },
    {
      "word": "Toms River"
    },
    {
      "word": "Tom Tiddler's ground"
    },
    {
      "word": "Uncle Tom"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "tkl",
            "2": "Toma",
            "bor": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "→ Tokelauan: Toma",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "→ Tokelauan: Toma"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Thomas"
      },
      "expansion": "Thomas",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Hypocorism of Thomas.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "Tom",
      "name": "en-proper noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English diminutives of male given names",
        "English given names",
        "English male given names",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1934, P. G. Wodehouse, Right Ho, Jeeves",
          "text": "What I'm worrying about is what Tom says when he starts talking.\"\n\"Uncle Tom?\"\n\"I wish there was something else you could call him except 'Uncle Tom',\" said Aunt Dahlia a little testily. \"Every time you do it, I expect to see him turn black and start playing the banjo.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, David Park, The Truth Commissioner, page 366",
          "text": "\"We're not sure - we were expecting a girl for some reason. But we're thinking of something simple like Tom.\"\n\"Thomas?\"\n\"No, just Tom.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A diminutive of the male given name Thomas, also used as a formal male given name."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "diminutive",
          "diminutive"
        ],
        [
          "given name",
          "given name"
        ],
        [
          "Thomas",
          "Thomas#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A nickname for a common man."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/tɒm/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/tɑm/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɒm"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Tom.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/04/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/04/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "male diminutive",
      "word": "湯姆"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "tāngmǔ",
      "sense": "male diminutive",
      "word": "汤姆"
    },
    {
      "code": "lv",
      "lang": "Latvian",
      "sense": "male diminutive",
      "tags": [
        "masculine",
        "transliteration"
      ],
      "word": "Toms"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "male diminutive",
      "word": "Tame"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Tom"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English 1-syllable words",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English proper nouns",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Rhymes:English/ɒm",
    "Rhymes:English/ɒm/1 syllable",
    "en:Menstruation",
    "en:Personifications",
    "en:Racism"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "curse of Tom"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "TOM"
      },
      "expansion": "TOM",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Variant of TOM.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "Toms",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "Tom (plural Toms)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English euphemisms",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Sorry, maybe next week. Uncle Tom is visiting.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "Maybe later. Tom is in town.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of menstruation."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "menstruation",
          "menstruation#English"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "personification",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(euphemistic, personification) Synonym of menstruation."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "menstruation"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "euphemistic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "Uncle Tom"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English ellipses",
        "English terms with uncommon senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Ellipsis of Uncle Tom."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Uncle Tom",
          "Uncle Tom#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(uncommon) Ellipsis of Uncle Tom."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "ellipsis",
        "uncommon"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/tɒm/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/tɑm/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɒm"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Tom.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/04/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/04/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Tom"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English 1-syllable words",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English proper nouns",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Rhymes:English/ɒm",
    "Rhymes:English/ɒm/1 syllable",
    "en:Menstruation",
    "en:Personifications",
    "en:Racism"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 3,
  "etymology_text": "Possibly onomatopoeia, conflated with the given name, given the practice of giving objects such as Big Ben human names. Alternatively, it may derive from an inscription on the old bell used as metal to make the Great Tom of Oxford in 1680: In Thomæ laude resono bim bom sine fraude.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "Tom",
      "name": "en-proper noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "tom-tom"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1857, William Chambers, Robert Chambers, “Something about bells”, in Chambers's Journal, volume 28, number 207, page 398",
          "text": "They had a thick rim, and when struck with pieces of wood, gave out a tone deeper than that of some of the Great Toms renowned in belldom.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1857, “An earthquake in Honduras”, in Harper's Magazine",
          "text": "After these came innumerable little boys bearing little bells, which made little noises in comparison to the \"Big Tom\" that preceded them.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1825, Moncrieff, \"A Parish-Clerk was Johnny Bell\", The Universal Songster (in a song about a man who hangs himself in the bell tower)",
          "text": "And there little Johnny Bell hung dangling along with the great Tom bell, and all the rest of the bells."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1848, “The book auction of New York”, in The Literary World",
          "text": "The city [New York] does not know a better auctioneer; the celebrated Tom Bell not ringing clearer.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A large, deep-toned bell, or a particularly notable example of one."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/tɒm/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/tɑm/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɒm"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Tom.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/04/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/04/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Tom.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Tom"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-20 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (1d5a7d1 and 304864d). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.