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tome

noun
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\ ˈtōm How to pronounce tome (audio) \

Definition of tome

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : book especially : a large or scholarly book
2 : a volume forming part of a larger work

-tome

noun combining form

Definition of -tome (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : part : segment myotome
2 : cutting instrument microtome
Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about tome

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Synonyms for tome

Synonyms: Noun

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Did You Know?

Tome comes from Latin tomus, which comes from Greek tomos, meaning "section" or "roll of papyrus." Tomos comes from the Greek verb temnein, which means "to cut." In ancient times, some of the longest scrolls of papyrus occasionally were divided into sections. When it was first used in English in the 16th century, tome was a book that was a part of a multi-volume work. Now a tome is most often simply a large and often ponderous book.

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 Covering only the first two and half years of his presidency, this 701-page tome — part one of two — isn’t the usual post-presidential legacy-burnishing project. — Dallas News, "Barack Obama’s memoir is a masterful lament over the fragility of hope," 18 Nov. 2020 The tome, titled The Wreckage of My Presence, is a collection of personal essays about her relationships, her friendships, the (lowbrow!) pop culture that feels like a friendship, and the grief and joy that have marked her twenties and thirties. — Seija Rankin, EW.com, "Casey Wilson spills on her upcoming book of essays, The Wreckage of My Presence," 9 Dec. 2020 Covering only the first two and half years of his presidency, this 701-page tome — part one of two — isn’t the usual post-presidential legacy-burnishing project. — Dallas News, "Barack Obama’s memoir is a masterful lament over the fragility of hope," 18 Nov. 2020 The real fans, like our good friend James Carville down in Louisiana, would just call it an opportunity to add a fresh chapter to the always-growing tome of SEC Conspiracy Theories. — Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, "Was LSU ducking Alabama?," 16 Nov. 2020 Covering only the first two and half years of his presidency, this 701-page tome — part one of two — isn’t the usual post-presidential legacy-burnishing project. — Dallas News, "Barack Obama’s memoir is a masterful lament over the fragility of hope," 18 Nov. 2020 The 768-page tome, released on Tuesday and published by Penguin Random House, sold nearly 890,000 copies in the United States and Canada in its first 24 hours, according to the Associated Press, which includes preorders and e-books. — Mike Brest, Washington Examiner, "Obama memoir off to record sales in first 24 hours," 19 Nov. 2020 Covering only the first two and half years of his presidency, this 701-page tome — part one of two — isn’t the usual post-presidential legacy-burnishing project. — Dallas News, "Barack Obama’s memoir is a masterful lament over the fragility of hope," 18 Nov. 2020 Covering only the first two and half years of his presidency, this 701-page tome — part one of two — isn’t the usual post-presidential legacy-burnishing project. — Los Angeles Times, "Review: Barack Obama’s memoir is a masterful lament over the fragility of hope," 16 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tome.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of tome

Noun

1519, in the meaning defined at sense 2

History and Etymology for tome

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

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Statistics for tome

Last Updated

9 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Tome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tome. Accessed 25 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for tome

tome

noun
How to pronounce -tome (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of tome

formal : a very large, thick book

See the full definition for tome in the English Language Learners Dictionary

tome

noun
\ ˈtōm How to pronounce tome (audio) \

Kids Definition of tome

: a big thick book

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