What does tome mean?
In modern English, a tome is a large, heavy, or otherwise substantial book. The word has a literary and scholarly tone and can suggest an imposing volume, an old or finely bound book, or a work valued for the breadth of its treatment. It may also refer more generally to one volume within a larger work. Although “tome” sometimes appears in deliberately grand or humorous descriptions, it does not inherently mean that a book is difficult, rare, or worthy of serious study. In ordinary conversation, “book” is usually more neutral, while “volume” may be the closest plain alternative. Tome is especially useful when the physical scale or cultural impression of a book matters, as in “a leather-bound tome” or “an enormous tome on architecture.” Its historical roots also reflect its connection with writing materials: the word ultimately derives from a Greek term associated with sections or rolls of manuscript.
nounA large, heavy book, especially one that is substantial in size or regarded as scholarly. By extension, it can mean a volume forming part of a larger work.
- A large, heavy, or substantial book.
- A book or literary work, especially one volume in a larger series.
"He spent the evening slowly turning the pages of an ancient tome."
"The professor's shelves were crowded with leather-bound tomes on ancient history."
"The second volume of the series is an absorbing tome about the Renaissance."
The regular plural of tome is tomes.
"Several valuable tomes line the shelves of the reading room."
Before paperbacks and e-books, a tome was simply a formidable volume—and its name comes from the Greek word for a cutting or section.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tome come from?
English borrowed tome from French tome in the early modern period. The French word came from Latin tomus, which in turn came from Greek tomos, meaning a section or part and historically a roll or large book. The Greek term is associated with the verb temnein, “to cut,” and is also the source of words such as anatomy, entomology, and tomography.
Related word forms
How tome is actually used
Tome is a formal or literary word. It often emphasizes the size, weight, age, or scholarly appearance of a book, but it does not necessarily imply that the contents are difficult or obscure.
Easily confused with tome
A tome is a book, whereas a tomb is a structure or monument used for burial.