What does "tom" mean?
The male of the domesticated cat, especially if not neutered.
Tom
/tɑm/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The male of the domesticated cat, especially if not neutered.
- Grammar: tom is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: gobbler, tomcat, alley cat, bantam.
- Useful contrasts: hen, pussy, she-cat.
- Usage evidence: "Good morning", said Tom with a smile.
How to use "tom"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tom" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tom" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tom" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tom" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tom" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "gobbler" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tom", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The male of the domesticated cat, especially if not neutered.
- 2 A tomato (the fruit). British
"Toms 90p a pound"
- 3 jewellery Cockney, slang, uncountable
- 4 Ellipsis of Uncle Tom. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, uncommon
"I thought it was nice for them [civil rights volunteers] to come in here. But they wasn’t welcome among white people. The black people welcomed them with open arms, but they wasn’t welcomed by the white people. And the churches began to burn: Everetts Chapel and Union Hill. I’ll be honest and tell you the truth, I was a little afraid sometimes, depending on where the meeting was. It looked like the group was pushing forward and I didn’t want to be a “Tom.”"
- 5 Synonym of menstruation. euphemistic, uncountable
"Sorry, maybe next week. Uncle Tom is visiting."
Show 15 more definitions
- 6 Acronym of time of the month. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, euphemistic
- 7 Initialism of theory of mind. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
"Thus there are stages of gaze following, followed by primary ToM, then secondary ToM, then perspective taking, with the speed of transitions influenced by experience[…]"
- 8 male turkey wordnet
- 9 The male of the turkey.
- 10 A United States two-dollar bill. US, rare
"Toms: two-dollar bills bearing the portrait of President Thomas Jefferson"
- 11 Acronym of Translocon on Outer Membrane. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
- 12 male cat wordnet
- 13 The male of the orangutan.
- 14 (ethnic slur) offensive and derogatory name for a Black man who is abjectly servile and deferential to Whites wordnet
- 15 The male of certain other animals.
- 16 A female prostitute. UK, dated, slang
- 17 A lesbian. US, slang
- 18 Clipping of tom-tom. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
- 19 The jack of trumps in the card game gleek. obsolete
- 20 A close-stool. UK, obsolete, regional
Verb
- 1 To act in an obsequiously servile manner toward white authority. derogatory, intransitive
- 2 To dig out a hole below the hatch cover of a bulker and fill it with cargo or weights to aid stability.
Proper Noun
- 1 A diminutive of the male given name Thomas, also used as a formal male given name.
"Poor Tom's a-cold."
- 2 A large, deep-toned bell, or a particularly notable example of one.
"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."
- 3 A nickname for a common man.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
""Good morning", said Tom with a smile."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tom"?
Common synonyms include: gobbler, tomcat, alley cat, bantam, banty, barn-door fowl.
How do you use "tom" in a sentence?
"Good morning", said Tom with a smile.
How do you pronounce "tom"?
Pronounced /tɑm/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From generic use of the proper name Tom.
Etymology 2
Shortened from tomato
Etymology 3
Rhyming slang from tomfoolery.
Etymology 4
From Uncle Tom.
Etymology 5
From Middle English Thomme. Hypocorism of Thomas. The dollar-bill sense is from the portrait of Thomas Jefferson featured on it.
Etymology 6
Variant of TOM (“time of the month”) influenced by the name.
Etymology 7
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.