What does "tommy" mean?
Ellipsis of Tommy Atkins, a typical private in the British army; a British soldier.
Tommy
/ˈtɑmi/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Ellipsis of Tommy Atkins, a typical private in the British army; a British soldier.
- Grammar: tommy is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: anzac, askari, aussie, boche.
- Useful contrasts: German soldier, female name.
- Usage evidence: Tommy did not want to run the risk of losing his job.
How to use "tommy"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tommy" 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 "tommy" 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 "tommy" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tommy" 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 "tommy" 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 "anzac" 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 "tommy", 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 Ellipsis of Tommy Atkins, a typical private in the British army; a British soldier. abbreviation, alt-of, colloquial, ellipsis
"Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?" But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll"
- 2 A British infantryman, especially one from World War I. Ellipsis of Tommy Atkins. UK, countable, slang, uncountable
- 3 Ellipsis of Tommy Atkins, a typical private in the British army; a British soldier.; Any common soldier; a member of the rank and file. broadly, colloquial
"May was in New Zealand when war broke out, and immediately left for France, where she worked in a military hospital in a converted high school in Marseilles. Writing home, she said that the French officers were said to be 'fussy' so she was glad to be nursing the Tommies (meaning French rank and file): 'they are brave and good, and patient, and such grateful patients. They are helpful to each other, and take such an interest in their fellow sufferers.'"
- 4 Bread or breadlike foodstuff, generally a penny roll. UK, countable, obsolete, slang, uncountable
- 5 A lesbian. obsolete, rare
"Here, here, here again! Coquettes, flirts, harlots, adultereſſes, tulips, pinks, roſes, lilies, violets, wormwood, fennel, and hemlock! Unnatural, unnatural, unnatural! Tommies, Tommies, Tommies! Women kiſſing women; doating, languiſhing, dying, pining, crying, caterwauling, for each other! Ha, ha, ha! O the madneſs of this age!"
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 The supply of food carried by workmen as their daily allowance. UK, countable, obsolete, slang, uncountable
- 7 Ellipsis of tommy boy. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 8 A truck, or barter; the exchange of labour for goods instead of money; the scrip by which such exchange occurs. UK, countable, obsolete, slang, uncountable
"No. 84. April 6. * * * * * *, aged 13: Works at gimlets and centre-bits, &c.; works from six in the morning till seven at night; has worked here about two years; gets 4s. 6d. a week. Works for one of the men; every man pays his own boy; is paid in tommy; the man he works for gives him a note to the office, Mr. Parsons', for the money; Mr. James Parsons gives him the money, and he gives it to the man, who gives him the tommy for the money. It is John Parsons's Tommy-shop; doesn't know if his name is over the door, can't read. The man he works for behaves well to him; does not beat him; likes his work, has nothing to complain of. Went to a day-school about three years ago, but for a very little time. His father could not afford to pay for it; it was only 2d. a week, but they could hardly get bread enough at that time. Never goes to a Sunday-school; his clothes is ript so bad his father's ashamed on him going. Not badly grown; meagre, not unhealthy; dirty, and in rags."
- 9 A tommy bar. countable, uncountable
- 10 Short for Tommy gun abbreviation, alt-of, countable, slang, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To pay (employees) according to the truck system, with goods instead of money. UK, obsolete, slang, transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A diminutive of the male given name Thomas.
"The Tory hard right is in the ascendancy, and a fascist street movement – led by convicted fraudster Tommy Robinson – represents a growing threat."
- 2 A diminutive of the female given name Thomasina.
Antonyms
German soldierfemale name
Example
"Tommy did not want to run the risk of losing his job."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tommy"?
Common synonyms include: anzac, askari, aussie, boche, bread, british infantryman.
How do you use "tommy" in a sentence?
Tommy did not want to run the risk of losing his job.
How do you pronounce "tommy"?
Pronounced /ˈtɑmi/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Tom + -y.
Etymology 2
Generally agreed to have come from appellativization of Tommy in most senses, but the historical details are apparently largely unknown, including whether such an evolution happened several times (with one sense being independent of another).