tome

1 of 2

noun

ˈtōm

Synonyms of tome next

: book

especially : a large or scholarly book

: a volume forming part of a larger work

-tome

2 of 2

noun combining form

: part : segment

myotome

: cutting instrument

microtome

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

But with quick-release buckles and wide seat belt-like nylon straps, the bag transforms into a serviceable backpack for hauling home a week of farmers market vegetables or some historical tomes for researching my next book project. —

Sarah Rose, wsj.com, 27 Sep. 2023 At a bookstore, Kuras spotted a tome about Miller, and, taken by Winslet’s likeness to her, sent the actor the book. —

Diane Garrett, Variety, 9 Sep. 2023 Indeed, the neighborhood is important enough that historian Steven M. Price wrote a gorgeous and witty coffee table tome about the 410-acre neighborhood’s architectural and pop-culture history. —

Mark David, Robb Report, 7 Sep. 2023 Still, he was not deterred, and his love for collecting rare Renaissance-era tomes only grew. —

Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Aug. 2023 Photos from the campaign now also appear in their very own Assouline tome. —

Maria Ward, Vogue, 6 Sep. 2023 Written by Jewish food expert Leah Koenig (who has also authored the tomes The Jewish Cookbook and Modern Jewish Cooking), the book goes deep on the history, culture, and food of the community that helped shape so much of Roman cuisine. —

Devorah Lev-Tov, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Aug. 2023 The tome can also be used as an encyclopedia for fans, who’ll find anecdotes—ranging from movements to release dates to nicknames—for each model included. —

Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 23 Aug. 2023 The glossy tome takes us sky-high over some of the world’s most famous beaches — Laguna, Malibu, Monterey — snapped from a door-less helicopter. —

Christopher Wynn, Dallas News, 8 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tome.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of tome was in 1519

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