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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Tome Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：large heavy book (tome)

tome 🔊

/toʊm/

A very large, heavy, and thick physical book, often because it has many pages or is about a very big topic.

Tome definition illustrated by a person carrying a heavy, thick book in a home library.

large heavy book 🔊

➕

/lɑːrdʒ ˈhevi bʊk/

A tome refers primarily to a book that is physically very large, thick, and heavy, often because it contains an extensive amount of content.

📁 Category：Culture & History 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Greek "tomos" (slice, piece, roll), via Latin "tomus" (a volume, a book).

💡 Mnemonic

Think: A 'tome' is so heavy it feels like you're carrying a whole library home.

📖 Example

My grandpa gifted me a dusty old tome about world history that must weigh at least five kilograms. 🔊 My grandpa gave me an old, dusty large and heavy book about world history that likely weighs at least five kilograms.

🔗 Collocations

dusty tome – a large, old book covered in dust, typically found in forgotten places like attics or old libraries.

weighty tome – a physically heavy book, emphasizing its substantial mass.

leather-bound tome – a large book with a cover made of leather, often suggesting age, value, or classic style.

🔄 Synonyms

volume (n.) – A book, especially one of a series or one that is substantial in size.

folio (n.) – A large book made by folding sheets of paper only once, resulting in a very large size.

codex (n.) – An ancient manuscript in book form (as opposed to a scroll); can refer to a substantial book.

🚫 Antonyms

pamphlet (n.) – A small, thin booklet with a paper cover, often containing information on a single subject.

booklet (n.) – A small book with a few pages, typically providing brief information.

leaflet (n.) – A single sheet of paper, often folded, giving information; much smaller than a book.

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from the Greek word "tomos," meaning a piece cut off or a scroll. In Latin, "tomus" came to denote a single volume of a larger work. The word entered English around the 16th century, often referring to one part of a scholarly multi-volume set, highlighting its roots in the physical division of lengthy works.

Meaning 2：scholarly volume (tome)

tome 🔊

/toʊm/

A serious and important scholarly book or a single book that is part of a large set, like an encyclopedia.

scholarly volume 🔊

➕

/ˈskɑːlərli ˈvɑːljuːm/

A tome can signify a serious, authoritative, and often lengthy book of great scholarly importance, or a single volume within a major multi-volume work like an encyclopedia.

📁 Category：School Education 🔖 Level：Advanced

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

Professor Lee recommended this tome on ancient philosophy as the definitive guide for our research project. 🔊 Professor Lee suggested this comprehensive and authoritative scholarly book on ancient philosophy as the most reliable guide for our research project.

🔗 Collocations

definitive tome – the most complete and authoritative book on a particular subject.

academic tome – a serious and detailed book written for scholarly or educational purposes.

multi-volume tome – a large work published in several separate books or volumes.

🔄 Synonyms

treatise (n.) – A written work dealing formally and systematically with a subject.

monograph (n.) – A detailed written study of a single specialized subject.

opus (n.) – An artistic work, especially one on a large scale; used for major scholarly works.

🚫 Antonyms

summary (n.) – A brief statement of the main points of something, not a detailed work.

abstract (n.) – A short summary of a longer academic paper or article.

digest (n.) – A compilation or summary of material from various sources, often condensed.