tome
/təʊm/ (bre, ipa) · /təʊm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtōm/ (ame, mw)
tome — noun
- tomesingular
- tomesplural
1. a very thick and heavy book, typically one of an academic or scholarly nature
a very thick and heavy book, typically one of an academic or scholarly nature
Mayumi borrowed a thick historical tome from the university library.
collocation: historical tome
The old wooden shelf creaked under the weight of dusty legal tomes.
plural: legal tomes; weight imagery
Professor Kabir placed a heavy medical tome on his desk and opened it.
Imani spent her weekend reading a nine-hundred-page tome about the Roman Empire.
- volume
more neutral; a 'volume' is one book in a series or a bound book, not necessarily large or heavy
- book
general term; 'book' has no implication of size, weight, or formality
- opus
suggests a major artistic work (often musical or literary); less common in everyday use
- compendium
implies a collection of information on a subject, often comprehensive but not necessarily physically large
文法句型
a [adjective] tome
a tome on/about [subject]
用法筆記
Frequently modified by an adjective that indicates the subject area (historical, medical, legal) or a physical description (heavy, dusty, thick). Often carries a connotation of being old or scholarly.
常見錯誤
tome — noun combining form
1. a combining form used in certain English words to mean 'part' or 'segment', refe
a combining form used in certain English words to mean 'part' or 'segment', referring to a piece or section of something
Rafael traced each dermatome on the spinal diagram during his neuroanatomy practical.
example word: dermatome — spinal nerve mapping
Dr. Jisoo showed the class how each myotome develops into a distinct group of muscles.
example word: myotome — embryonic muscle development
In biology class, Liang learned that each sclerotome — a segment of developing tissue — becomes part of the spine and ribs.
Diego's textbook showed how each myotome, or segment of developing muscle, connects to a different spinal nerve.
文法句型
[word] + -tome
用法筆記
Appears almost exclusively in formal, technical, or academic vocabulary. Learners are most likely to encounter it in 'epitome' (a perfect example or summary), though native speakers rarely treat '-tome' as a separable element.
2. a combining form used in scientific terms to refer to a tool or device that cuts
a combining form used in scientific terms to refer to a tool or device that cuts thin sections or slices
A histologist uses a microtome to cut tissue into slices for a microscope.
example word: microtome
The surgeon chose an osteotome to cut through bone during the hip replacement procedure.
example word: osteotome; surgical context
A dermatome is a surgical instrument used to cut thin layers of skin for grafts.
A lab worker uses a microtome to prepare tissue slices for examination under a microscope.
- cutter
generic term for a cutting tool; not a combining form
文法句型
[word] + -tome
用法筆記
Only encountered in specialized medical and laboratory contexts. Each compound (-tome word) names a specific instrument for a particular kind of cutting. Not productive — learners should learn each compound as a whole word rather than trying to combine -tome freely.