noun
General Slang
Tom
· noun · military
A British Army private soldier — from Tommy Atkins.
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Definitions
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A British Army private soldier — especially in the Parachute Regiment and infantry, where 'the Toms' means the lads, the rank and file. Counterpart to 'Rupert' for officers. Used inside the regiment with pride: the Toms are the ones who actually do the fighting.
“The Toms had been on the ground for forty-eight hours with no sleep before the relief came in.”
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Tom In A Sentence
The Toms had been on the ground for forty-eight hours with no sleep before the relief came in.
Origin & Usage
From 'Tommy Atkins,' the generic name used on sample British Army paperwork from the early 1800s — became the universal nickname for the British private soldier through the Victorian era, WWI, and beyond. 'Tom' is the shortened modern Para and infantry usage.
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