tome

1 of 2

noun

ˈtōm 

1

: book

especially : a large or scholarly book

2

: a volume forming part of a larger work

-tome

2 of 2

noun combining form

1

: part : segment

myotome

2

: cutting instrument

microtome

Synonyms

Noun

• book
• paperback

Examples of tome in a Sentence

Noun

a long tome on European history

picked up a thick tome on the Roman Empire at a used book store

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Ancient book clasps — used to keep manuscript tomes shut — were uncovered at the site, along with styli, the medieval equivalents of pens and pencils. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025

The movie might strategically skimp on details about the newly ascendant policies that result, but the size of the tome suggests that Liz has put a few of the particulars in writing. —Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025

The result is both a tome and treasure. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025

Nothing, however, replaces cruising around stacks of books at a real bookstore, thumbing through the tomes that catch your eye. —Terri Daxon, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin tomus, from Greek tomos section, roll of papyrus, tome, from temnein to cut; akin to Middle Irish tamnaid he lops, Polish ciąć to cut, and perhaps to Latin tondēre to shear

Noun combining form

Greek tomos

First Known Use

Noun

1519, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for tome

• brome
• chrome
• comb
• combe
• crome
• dome
• acrosome
• aerodrome
• catacomb
• centrosome
• chromosome
• cytochrome

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Kids Definition

tome

noun

ˈtōm 

: a big thick book