tom
tom — noun
- tomsingular
- tomsplural
1. an adult male domestic cat, especially one that has not been neutered and that o
an adult male domestic cat, especially one that has not been neutered and that often roams outdoors and fights with other cats.
The gray tom hissed at Diya when she walked past his corner of the garden.
A large tom with a torn ear sat on the wall, watching the birds in the yard.
often refers to unneutered male cats that roam outdoors
Omar's tom has a deep scratch across its nose from last night's fight.
The shelter told Mauricio their black tom was found on the streets three months ago.
- tomcat
the full form of the word; 'tom' is a shortened version
文法句型
countable noun
用法筆記
Often used simply as 'tom' rather than 'tomcat' in everyday speech. The full form 'tomcat' is common in writing.
常見錯誤
2. an adult male turkey, larger than the female and known for its colorful fan-shap
an adult male turkey, larger than the female and known for its colorful fan-shaped tail feathers and loud gobbling call.
The farmer showed Élise how the tom spreads its tail feathers to attract hens.
At the farm visit, the children laughed at the loud gobble of the tom turkey.
collocation: tom turkey
Kenji read that a wild tom can weigh twice as much as a female turkey.
A large tom strutted across the yard with its feathers puffed out and head bright red.
文法句型
countable noun
用法筆記
Most commonly used in agricultural contexts. The phrase 'tom turkey' is often used to make the meaning clear.
3. a medium-sized drum mounted on a stand or attached to a drum kit, played with st
a medium-sized drum mounted on a stand or attached to a drum kit, played with sticks and producing a deep resonant sound.
Jabari hit the floor tom twice before moving to the snare drum for the chorus.
collocation: floor tom
The drummer adjusted the tom so the stick could bounce off it more easily.
In the solo, Reuben played a loud roll across all three toms and crashed the cymbals.
Nadia bought a new set of mesh-head toms for her electronic drum kit.
文法句型
countable noun
用法筆記
Usually appears in the plural ('toms') because drum kits typically have two or more. Specific types include 'floor tom' (the largest, standing on legs) and 'rack tom' (mounted on the bass drum or a stand).
4. an informal shortened form of the word 'tomato', used in cooking instructions, g
an informal shortened form of the word 'tomato', used in cooking instructions, grocery lists, and casual conversation.
The recipe says to chop four toms and add them to the pan with onions.
informal abbreviation in recipes
Lauren picked up a bag of toms from the market stall on her way home.
A can of chopped toms is good to keep in the cupboard for pasta sauce.
Sofie added two fresh toms to the salad just before serving dinner.
- tomato
the full form; 'tom' is an abbreviation
文法句型
countable noun
用法筆記
Chiefly British in cooking and grocery contexts. 'Toms' (plural) is more common than 'tom' (singular). Avoid in formal writing.