Dictionary
Definition
-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
1
: book
especially
: a large or scholarly book
2
: a volume forming part of a larger work
1
: part : segment
myotome
2
: cutting instrument
microtome
Synonyms
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
Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
In the pages of the beloved tome, Montgomery, a PEI native, introduced readers to the precocious, ruddy-haired orphan, Anne Shirley.
—
Tykesha Burton, Travel + Leisure, 21 Dec. 2024
One of the few completely fail-proof gifts is to give someone one of the best coffee table books of the season—weighty tomes whose thick, glossy pages feature stunning photographs and illustrations, to be specific.
—
Jessica Cherner, Architectural Digest, 17 Dec. 2024
Over the next four years, Thompson embarked on a far-reaching reporting venture, drawing on hundreds of interviews, eyewitness accounts, academic tomes and archival documents to piece together the story of Till’s final hours.
—
Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tome 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
The stories behind many of these hypothetical tomes are well known to anyone with bibliophilia.
—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
Podcast
Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!
Dictionary Entries Near tome
Cite this Entry
“Tome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tome. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
tome
noun
: a big thick book
More from Merriam-Webster on tome
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share