tom

name

Etymology: Possibly onomatopoeia, conflated with the given name, given the practice of giving objects such as Big Ben human names. Alternatively, it may derive from an inscription on the old bell used as metal to make the Great Tom of Oxford in 1680: In Thomæ laude resono bim bom sine fraude.

1. A large, deep-toned bell, or a particularly notable example of one.

   “They had a thick rim, and when struck with pieces of wood, gave out a tone deeper than that of some of the Great Toms renowned in belldom.”

   “After these came innumerable little boys bearing little bells, which made little noises in comparison to the "Big Tom" that preceded them.”

noun

1. Acronym of time of the month.
2. Acronym of Translocon on Outer Membrane.

verb

1. To dig out a hole below the hatch cover of a bulker and fill it with cargo or weights to aid stability.